‘It’s an INSTANT CLASSIC!’: Eternal ‘Star Wars’ papa Mark Hamill confirms that DreamWorks has unleashed its next ‘Shrek’-level phenomenon

On Sep. 27, the highly anticipated animated sci-fi survival movie The Wild Robot will be released in the United States. Based on Peter Brown’s brilliantly engrossing book series of the same name, it chronicles the epic journey of a robot named ROZZUM unit 7134 (“Roz” for short), who gets stranded on an island untouched by humans. There, it adapts to the harsh environment, gets acquainted with the island’s wildlife, and becomes the adoptive mother of sorts to a little orphaned gosling.

Directed by Chris Sanders, the DreamWorks Animation film features the voices of Lupita Nyong’o (as Roz), Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Ving Rhames, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Catherine O’Hara, and Mark Hamill — the latter of whom has had some wonderful things to say about it on X.

Now, as a member of its cast (he voices Thorn, a grizzly bear), you may think Hamill is bound to speak highly of The Wild Robot. However, the fact is, when Luke Skywalker himself talks, you should take notice. Moreover, given the excellent source material and undeniably talented ensemble, it’s hard to imagine it’ll be anything other than great. Hamill is a veteran of the voice acting game, having expertly portrayed the likes of the Joker, Solomon Grundy, Kavaxas, Fire Lord Ozai, Wolverine, the Hobgoblin, Chucky, and Skeletor in various productions across various media, and knows what makes a good animated movie.

So, what has Hamill said about the upcoming The Wild Robot on X?

Hamill’s X post about The Wild Robot explained

Hamill’s reads, “Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot is a beloved, award-winning #1 NYTimes bestseller & deservedly so. I knew if Dreamworks’ animated movie version captured even a fraction of the book’s appeal, it would be a winner. Well folks, they outdid themselves: It’s an INSTANT CLASSIC!😍👍”

He refers to the source material’s impressive accolades and achievements, then suggests the movie has captured its essence before referring to it as an “INSTANT CLASSIC!” High praise indeed.

But Hamill isn’t the only one praising The Wild Robot. Those lucky enough to have seen it before its release say it’s a brilliant film, so maybe it’ll be DreamWorks’ biggest success since Shrek.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye wrote a review that says, “When it hits theaters on September 27, The Wild Robot will please not only its existing fans but garner new ones as well.” The Toronto Star’s chief movie critic, Peter Howell, called it “the best animated film I’ve seen all year” in a post on X.

Other comments about the movie include Rendy Jones of Entertainment Weekly saying it “lives alongside Wall-E and The Iron Giant in the pantheon of robots too good for us in a striking animated story about belonging” and Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture saying it “represents the pinnacle of DreamWorks Animation.”

It really sounds like DreamWorks could have the next Shrek-level phenomenon on their hands with The Wild Robot. Make sure you check it out from Sep. 27.