As both critical and audience acclaim for The Wild Robot continues to circulate, DreamWorks' confirmation of a sequel for the animated movie seems to point towards its plan to replace its $1 billion franchise, How to Train Your Dragon. Following the journey of the titular robot, Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), through motherhood and survival, The Wild Robot has already proven itself a worthy competitor to the best animated movies of not only 2024 itself, but also all time. This includes DreamWorks' own massive success, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

From best animated movies with a robot protagonist, a niche corner of the animation genre, but these conversations have expanded significantly, especially now that it has received official sequel confirmation. Only How to Train Your Dragon has achieved similar success on this level for DreamWorks, despite the popularity of franchises like Shrek, which draws many comparisons between the two.

The Wild Robot's Sequel Comes After It Got DreamWorks' Best Reviews Since How To Train Your Dragon

This Success Is Being Replicated

While demand for a sequel to The Wild Robot has been high, it always comes down to whether the movie has been a success or not - and, in this case, it most certainly has. Sequel plans were, of course, easy to make, with Brown's original book expanding into a trilogy, but this alone couldn't guarantee that a sequel would be made. The reviews are the deciding factor, and they have been more than favorable enough for The Wild Robot to officially become DreamWorks' next franchise. From both the critics and audiences, The Wild Robot has DreamWorks' best reviews since 2010.

After How to Train Your Dragon premiered in 2010, it earned the current top spot it has in of its Rotten Tomatoes score. It was these reviews that helped How to Train Your Dragon to continue its expansion into a franchise, and now, history is repeating itself with The Wild Robot. This, however, is far from the first parallel between the two. In fact, there's a fascinating number of comparisons between the two that certainly seem to prove that The Wild Robot has the potential to become a modern replacement for the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

The Wild Robot Has Several Similarities To How To Train Your Dragon

Both In A General & Specific Sense

The first, and perhaps most prominent, similarity the two share is that they are both helmed by Chris Sanders, with the help of his long-time collaborator Dean DeBlois. Sanders' work has spanned far beyond DreamWorks as well, with him being responsible for Lilo & Stitch in addition to various other big hits. While Sanders is given this writing and directing credit, both these animated franchises have also been based upon beloved children's books, which act as a guide to the story Sanders seeks to tell through the animated medium.

There are other, more minute comparisons that the two share as well, particularly in their story tropes. Interestingly enough, each movie sees a main character lose their leg, with both Roz and Hiccup respectively. There's also a core theme of survival in both, albeit in different conditions. These two movies certainly have their differences, but their comparisons are close enough that they can resonate with both audiences in ways that don't feel so blatantly similar to one another. This is what's helping DreamWorks to set itself up for the same kind of success with another franchise, 14 years later.

The Wild Robot Franchise Can Help DreamWorks Replace How To Train Your Dragon

DreamWorks Needs Another Successful Franchise

DreamWorks' work is finished with the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, which means that they're actively searching for another to take its place. While they certainly have a few options and avenues they could explore, there's no doubt now that The Wild Robot is the best option to take this mantle and carry it far. It's already achieved incredible critical and, so far, monetary success, two factors that alone point towards DreamWorks achieving a similar feat with this new franchise that they did with How to Train Your Dragon.

Of course, there's no replacing How to Train Your Dragon in of its own individual story and impact, but The Wild Robot has a chance to replicate that success in its own way. The manner in which it's already started to resonate with audiences proves that. These characters are ones the audience has bonded closely with, and their story is one people are eager to follow. Should DreamWorks truly aim to achieve the same kind of $1 billion success they had with How to Train Your Dragon, then The Wild Robot is the perfect option moving forward.