After rewatching the 2024 animated movie The Wild Robot recently, I am convinced that DreamWorks caught up with its rival animation studio, Pixar, 3 years ago. Peter Brown’s book adaptation of The Wild Robot is considered 2024’s best animated movie for a number of reasons. The Wild Robot delivers a strong environmentalist message set against a brilliant backdrop and a fantastic cast. The movie follows the story of a shipwrecked service robot called Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), as she adapts to her new environment, making friends with the wildlife, and becoming an adoptive mother to orphaned goose, Brightbill (Kit Connor).

Praising the story’s emotional depth, the film’s unique Hayao Miyazaki animation style, as well as the voice acting, The Wild Robot boasts a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and an impressive $334.2 million box office result. The film received many awards, including three nominations at the Academy Awards alone – DreamWorks’ most nominated film. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that The Wild Robot 2 is now in development. However, The Wild Robot’s phenomenal success does pose an interesting question about the current movies released by long-time rivals Pixar and DreamWorks, and I believe that things could be changing for DreamWorks.

Pixar Has Generally Always Had The Edge Over DreamWorks

DreamWorks Has A Less Universal Approach Than Trustworthy Pixar

Pixar and DreamWorks have been the largest names in the game for animation over the last few decades, and for good reason. However, despite their individual successes, Pixar has generally always had an edge over DreamWorks, and that is down to several factors. Pixar has a knack for consistently delivering high-quality emotional stories that are centered on original ideas. Their steady and trustworthy reputation is reflected in their earnings, as there are plenty of Pixar movies that have earned over $1 billion at the box office. That is not to say DreamWorks isn’t good, but Pixar seems more consistent.

While DreamWorks has had some fun and high-performing movies that have later developed into large franchises, such as Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks’ movies are somewhat less universal than Pixar and considerably more franchise-focused. With a commitment to family-friendly original concepts that balances comedy and drama for universal audiences, Pixar seems to dominate due to its wider target audience. However, with DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot copying Pixar’s emotional narrative, it demonstrates that DreamWorks may be shifting away from its predominantly comedic tone to attract a more universal audience, and this has been going on since 2022.

Since 2022, I Believe DreamWorks’ Output Has Been As Good As Pixar’s

The Wild Robot Comes From A Long Line Of Great Films

Over the last few years, I believe that DreamWorks’ output has matched Pixar’s, despite the previous gap between the studios. While Kung Fu Panda 4 and Trolls Band Together were unsurprisingly box office hits, continuing the legacy of their franchises, they weren’t particularly outstanding in terms of story. However, other DreamWorks movies, which were considerably better, didn’t receive much limelight, making them underrated gems. For example, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken was an underrated teen comedy that was quite endearing, and DreamWorks’ Orion and the Dark followed Pixar’s feelings formula, yet didn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should have.

Pixar also had mᴀssive success with Turning Red and Inside Out 2, the latter of which being a previously established franchise, and they were actually positively reviewed box office hits compared to DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 4 and Trolls Band Together. However, Pixar also experienced rocky ground with things like Elemental – which was an interesting concept, yet lacked Pixar’s usual emotional depth – and Lightyear – which somewhat struggled to justify itself as a standalone. As a result, DreamWorks and Pixar appear to be in a similar position over the last few years, scoring both franchise successes alongside lesser-appreciated standalone movies.

However, DreamsWorks has had some redeeming films since 2022. Movies like The Wild Robot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and even Dog Man are fantastic additions that stand apart from previous DreamWorks films for their experimental animation styles and refreshingly emotional stories. In fact, you could argue that The Wild Robot actually makes DreamWorks recent movies look worse, regardless of Kung Fu Panda 4 and Trolls Band Together’s box office success, as The Wild Robot proved a much more likable film, despite the fact it is a standalone, and doesn’t have an established IP outside of the children’s book.

How DreamWorks’ Box Office & RT Scores Compare To Pixar’s Since 2022

DreamWorks Is Holding Its Own Against Pixar

Considering the divided opinion on the long-debated topic of Pixar versus DreamWorks, the actual data provides a more solid picture. If you look at DreamWorks and Pixar’s box office comparison, you can see the impact of DreamWorks producing a lot more movies than Pixar since 2022. The highest-grossing and highest-rated Pixar movie was Inside Out 2, earning over $1 billion at the box office and Rotten Tomatoes scores in the 90% region. In comparison, the highest-grossing DreamWorks movie was Kung Fu Panda 4, which actually differs from the highest-rated film, The Wild Robot, earning a 96% Tomatometer and 98% Popcornmeter.

While no DreamWorks movie – not even Kung Fu Panda 4, with its large IP – measured up to the success of Pixar’s Inside Out 2 in terms of box office earnings, the data does show an impressive run by DreamWorks. According to data by The Numbers, only one DreamWorks movie since 2022 earned less than $100 million, which is impressive considering DreamWorks released eight movies in that time, and that was the standalone movie Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken. Furthermore, Rotten Tomatoes data shows that DreamWorks is not far behind in scores compared to Pixar, demonstrating the studio’s commitment towards higher-quality content.

Considering it was previously reported that DreamWorks was having the worst decade at the box office, the studio has made an impressive comeback with the release of fan-favorites like Kung Fu Panda and Trolls. However, things like The Wild Robot also show an increasing DreamWorks trend to experiment with animation and storytelling in a way they haven’t done before. This is clearly a move in the right direction, as these “experimental” movies have the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Wild Robot, and Dog Man have earned both critic and audience scores over 80%.

Can DreamWorks Overtake Pixar, Based On Both Studios’ Upcoming Movies?

DreamWorks’ Future Looks Uncertain Due To Franchises

Based on the studios’ upcoming movies, it is difficult to say whether DreamWorks could overtake Pixar. Pixar currently has 5 upcoming movies announced. While most are slated for release this year or 2026, Pixar has a reputation for spacing out its projects more than DreamWorks, with a focus on production quality rather than overall quanтιтy. That being said, Pixar also dedicates itself to original stories, which a lot of its upcoming films are not. The majority of Pixar’s upcoming releases are part of large franchises, which means they will be big box office earners due to the studio’s trusted reputation.

In contrast, DreamWorks has 7 upcoming movies over the next two years, and the majority of them are part of franchises or larger IP. Therefore, while 2025 might be DreamWorks’ biggest year so far, there is a concern that this may not last. The things which are currently making DreamWorks work is original storytelling and experimental animation. Therefore, while Pixar’s directed attention to franchises could prove successful, DreamWorks’ mixed reputation for extending franchises longer than needed could prove a problem. Essentially, what DreamWorks really needs is more original and emotionally poignant movies, like The Wild Robot, to overtake Pixar.

Sources: The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes