Colorado
“The Wild Robot” finds inspiration in director’s Colorado childhood
The idea behind “The Wild Robot” sounds like a paradox: An artificially intelligent machine transforms itself into an emotional creature after exposure to the wilderness.
Those emotions are not a malfunction, but rather a result of natural evolution for our android protagonist, Roz. In author Peter Brown’s hit book, and now the DreamWorks movie it’s based on, it’s also a matter of survival.
“When I first talked with (author Brown), he immediately mentioned something that had a huge impact on the movie,” said writer and director Chris Sanders, a Colorado Springs native and veteran of Disney and DreamWorks Animation features such as “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Croods” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” “It’s the idea that kindness can be a survival skill, and sometimes you have to change your programming and become more multidimensional to survive.”
The animated sci-fi tale, which hits the big screen on Sept. 27, is another stab at Oscar gold for DreamWorks, as well as the final film being produced in-house at the studio known for “Shrek.” Its last movie, the 2022 feature “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” was an uncommonly thoughtful sequel/spin-off that netted its creators a Best Animated Feature nomination.
“The Wild Robot” looks likely to nab another, with its jaw-droppingly beautiful visuals, richly constructed world, and themes and action that avoid the zany, slapstick-laden formula of most talking-animal stories.
“Programming is a theme in any robot movie, but this was a substantially different tone,” said Sanders, who graduated from Arvada High School before going on to the California Institute of the Arts. “Roz sees the animals as having individual programming, which is just her way of looking at things. She puts their behavior in terms she can understand.”
Indeed, the robot’s accidental crash-landing on a lush, deserted island kicks off a series of events that blur the organic and artificial. Voiced by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Roz is a service robot designed to meet the needs of humans. And yet there are no humans to fulfill her purpose, so she turns her attention to decoding the animal kingdom, from an insecure beaver and a grumpy bear to an orphaned gosling (Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor) that she’s more or less forced to parent after accidentally killing his parents in her crash-landing.
The menagerie is driven by a skilled voice cast that includes Pedro Pascal (as Fink the fox), Catherine O’Hara (Pinktail the possum), Bill Nighy (Longneck the goose), Mark Hamill (Thorn the grizzly bear), Stephanie Hsu (bad robot Vontra) and Ving Rhames (Thunderbolt the falcon).
Sanders and his team offer clever sequences that inject realism into the otherwise fantastical scenes, cross-wiring the best parts of Pixar and Disney movies such as “WALL-E” with “Zootopia.” In one montage, Roz translates the chirps, barks and growls of the animals into a language that she (and we) can speak and understand — something like a Universal Translator in Star Trek. Most movies wouldn’t even bother explaining how they can communicate.
Writer-director Sanders, who grew up hiking and picnicking with his family along the Front Range — “every weekend, if the weather was good enough,” he said — saw opportunity in the blank spaces of the book. Author and illustrator Brown’s source material was first published in 2016 and ascended to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list while spawning its own middle-grade series.
“When I got into the book and the journey of the story, I realized these were really fresh characters I could attach myself to,” he said. “I got inside them immediately and understood their relationships are more subtle and intricate and felt more real than they would in a fairytale. I’ve worked on those before, and am proud of those projects. But as fanciful as the (‘The Wild Robot’s’) plot is, this felt like it was really happening because the relationships are believable.”
The movie contrasts the robot’s programming — and the idea that it can evolve past it — with evolutionary instinct and self-preservation. Without giving anything away, hard lessons lead to revelations about working together and the merits of personal sacrifice for the greater good.
Above all, there’s an artful, refreshing wisdom to “The Wild Robot” that’s missing from most movies, kids’ or otherwise. Sanders’ Colorado past showed him nature’s big-screen beauty, as well as the different ways one must adapt to the outdoors, and he certainly internalized that before moving to Hollywood, he said.
“Whether we were on a trail or having lunch, I always got altitude sickness,” Sanders remembered with a laugh, naming Devil’s Head, the Flatirons and the Royal Arch among his favorite spots. “I was super duper prone to that, whereas my brother never got sick. I never really connected that (to the book); it was just part of being a kid.”
Studying animals up close, however, was not part of being a kid, Sanders said. That could be why he’s so attracted to depicting them as an adult.
“We never had pets (growing up),” he said. “That’s why I drew them.”
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An investigation is underway after authorities found a body near a picnic area in western Colorado last weekend that appears to have been eaten by a bear.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says the human remains were located on Sunday near the Wild Rose Picnic Area off Lands End Road on the Grand Mesa. Investigators say the remains were scavenged and scattered, and they believe the person was consumed by a bear and other wildlife.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the person and officially determine their cause of death.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who was in the area of the Wild Rose Campground between June 22 and July 5, 2026, and noticed anything suspicious to contact Investigator Jenna Reed at (970) 244-3274.
They added that Colorado Parks and Wildlife believes there is no threat to the community at this time.
The area is home to black bears, and the MCSO shared several guidelines for the community to prevent human-bear conflicts:
- Stay alert and together: Go with others when possible, keep children in sight and close by, and avoid using headphones so you can hear your surroundings.
- Food safety: Double-bag food, pack out all food and trash, and don’t burn scraps and trash in fire rings/grills or leave them behind.
- Pet safety: Keep dogs on a leash at all times or leave them at home; don’t force a bear to defend itself.
- Camping safety: Set up camps away from dense cover or natural food sources and do not cook or store food near/in a tent. Secure food in bear-resistant containers or suspend at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet away from any part of the tree.
- Know how to respond: Don’t approach bears; quietly move away. Never run, as it may trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, stand your ground, wave your arms, and yell until it leaves. Stay with your group, use bear spray, and fight back aggressively if necessary.
- Bear spray: Carry bear spray and know how to use it correctly. It’s not repellent; don’t spray your tent, campsite, or belongings.
Damage assessments are still ongoing for homes and businesses affected by the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado, but over 200 homes have been confirmed destroyed so far. The United Way of Southern Colorado is working to raise relief funds for those affected and says it’s making progress towards its fundraising goal.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said they’ve assessed approximately 67% of the properties affected in the county. Authorities have confirmed the loss of 192 homes and four commercial structures so far and are working to contact property owners as quickly as possible.
Lucero urged everyone affected by the fire to use the survivor portal for more information on assistance.
Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith says they’ve lost approximately 83 homes so far, almost 2% of the county’s homes. The worst hit area is along the Highway 165 corridor, Smith added. He said that authorities don’t expect any new evacuation areas, but are not yet ready to release the existing evacuation orders.
Smith said a hotline is available during business hours for affected Custer County Residents to ask questions. He urged residents to contact them at (719) 467-0271 and advised they may need to leave a voicemail if the line is busy due to the high number of calls.
A flash flood watch is in effect for areas near the burn scar, which could affect nearby homes.
The President of the United Way of Southern Colorado, Shanna Farmer, said the organization is working to raise wildfire relief funds for those affected. Over the last few days, they have reached just over $417,000 of their $10 million goal.
“It has been incredible, the number of individuals and companies who have come out to support, to provide matches, and to provide innovative ways to raise those funds,” said Farmer. “And so, I encourage anyone who is willing to work with us on a corporate, business, or individual level to please reach out because it is going to take all of us to help rebuild.”
Farmer said that the community not only needs help with their immediate needs but also long-term support. She urged anyone interested in donating to visit their website.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says anyone who has evacuated needs to contact the Disaster Assistance Center located at 29 Lehigh Ave. in Pueblo. The center is open between 9 a.m and 6 p.m. and provides multiple resources for those forced to evacuate.
Residents must also visit the center to obtain a re-entry pass, which will allow them to return home once evacuation orders have been lifted. A photo ID and proof of residency are required. Visitors can sign up online to reserve a place in line for faster service.
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