The winners of the 52nd Annie Awards, recognizing excellence in animation, were announced on February 9 (local time). DreamWorks' The Wild Robot took home the most awards of the night, securing 9 wins in the feature film category. This includes the Best Feature, Best Directing, Best Character Animation, Best Character Design, Best Voice Acting (Lupita Nyong'o), Best Music (Kris Bowers), Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best FX awards.

About the Film

Based on the 2016 children's novel The Wild Robot by American author Peter Brown, the movie follows Roz, an advanced assistive robot who gets stranded on a remote island. There, she unexpectedly takes on the role of a parent, raising a gosling named Brightbill. Over time, she develops emotions, learns to live alongside the island's wildlife, and faces challenges to protect her newfound family.

The film is directed by Chris Sanders, known for his work at Disney (Lilo & Stitch, 2002) and DreamWorks (How to Train Your Dragon, 2010).

Strong Box Office Performance in Japan

In Japan, The Wild Robot was released on February 7 and had an impressive opening weekend. The film attracted 122,076 moviegoers over the first three days, earning 170,282,670 yen at the box office. It ranked #3 in box office revenue and #2 in audience turnout (according to Kogyo Tsushinsha). While the core audience consists of families, the film has also gained traction among viewers in their 20s to 50s, appealing to a wide demographic.

Oscar Nominations

The Wild Robot is also nominated for three categories at the 97th Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score (Kris Bowers), and Best Sound. The winners will be announced at the Oscars ceremony on March 2 (local time).

Source : ORICON NEWS