Pedro Pascal's Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Animated Movie Is Streaming On Peacock

When he's not selling new AirPods, Pedro Pascal just loves to make us cry. Whether it's saying goodbye to a kid that looks like Yoda, getting his head popped like a melon in "Game of Thrones," or getting it (spoilers) caved in with a golf club in "The Last of Us" (even though, we can bet he'll be back for Season 3) he's had us choked up plenty of times. However, in 2024, Pascal stepped out of his comfort zone and into a recording booth when he took on the role of a wise-cracking fox (aren't they always) that educates an outsider on the lay of the land in the animated movie, "The Wild Robot," which has just arrived on Peacock.

Directed by Chris Sanders ("How To Train Your Dragon," "Lilo & Stitch"), "The Wild Robot" is an adaptation of Peter Brown's book of the same name. The film sees robot Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) end up stranded on an island with no human life and forced to take care of an orphaned gosling until it's old enough to fly. At the same time, Roz must also learn with other wildlife, including a fox named Fink (Pascal), who begins to adapt to his highly advanced neighbor. The outcome is one of the most heartwarming, weep-worthy family films in recent years, and it has every chance to find itself among the greats in the years to come, particularly given the plans in place for Roz and her wildlife pals.

After debuting with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, there's no doubt that "The Wild Robot" has something special stored in its CPU that puts it apart from being just any standard kids' film. The Times UK said that "The Wild Robot" displays "The stamp of human warmth lifts the film far above the familiar robot cuddle-fest it could easily have been." Empire Magazine also said the movie is "A gift of great storytelling, this is the best film Chris Sanders has made." It's understandable, then, why the film was nominated for Best Animated Film in 2025.

Thankfully, with such critical acclaim and acknowledgment from the Academy Awards, "The Wild Robot" isn't ready to power down just yet. As revealed by The Wrap, "The Wild Robot Escapes" is in the process of being planned, with Sanders handing the instruction manual over to Troy Quane, the director of Netflix's animated fantasy movie and sleeper hit, "Nimona," to helm the new film. As it stands, there's no confirmation on just which cast members will be returning for the project.