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In a world where the major studios are cranking out animated movies right and left, it’s quite a joy when an animated film like Pablo Berger’s Robot Dreams shows up unexpected among the Oscar-nominated animated features at the Academy Awards. Of course, Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron won that category, but Robot Dreams is finally hitting North American theaters a year after premiering at a number of summer 2023 festivals.
The simple premise, based on a graphic novel by Sarah Varon, involves a lonely dog living in New York City in the ‘80s, who buys himself a robot companion, but then accidentally abandons it at a Coney Island beach. The beautiful film follows both their journeys, the robot’s attempts at getting back to his friend, and the dog trying to adjust to life without robot.
From Spain, Berger has mostly directed live action films, including 2003’s Torremonlinos 73 and the Goya-winning Blancanieves in 2012. Besides receiving that Oscar nomination, Robot Dreams, a co-production between France and Spain, won the Annie Award for Best Animated Independent Feature, as well as an award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
Cinema Daily US talked about all these things and more with Berger over Zoom last week, an interview that you can watch above. Robot Dreams is now playing in New York and will expand to L.A. this Friday, June 7, before opening in more theaters over the course of the month.
Director: Pablo Berger
Screenwriter: Pablo Berger, Sarah Varon
Cast: Ivan Labanda, Tito Trifol, Rafa Calvo
Producer: Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, Sandra Tapia Díaz, Pablo Berger, Ángel Durández
Production Co: Arcadia Motion Pictures, Noodles Production, Les Films du Wurso,
Distributor: NEON
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Animation
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2024
Runtime: 102 Minutes
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You can watch the trailer for Robot Dreams below: