From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Wreck-It Ralph,” a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix Jr., the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.
“Ralph is the bad guy in an old 1980s arcade game who’s wondering—after 30 years of playing his assigned role—‘Is this it?’” says director Rich Moore. “So, like a lot of us, he tries to solve an internal problem with an external solution: he’s going to try to win a medal—if he could win just one, he thinks he’ll earn the kind of love and respect Felix gets.”
“So Ralph embarks on this journey across the arcade to try to earn that medal,” says producer Clark Spencer. “Of course, the real journey is for him—and everyone else—to realize that while he’s programmed to be one thing, it doesn’t mean that’s what he is on the inside.”
On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz from the candy-coated cart-racing game Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time?
John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, is the executive producer of “Wreck-It Ralph.” “A good animated film like this does three things really well,” says Lasseter. “It tells a compelling story that’s unpredictable and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, it populates the story with really memorable and appealing characters, and it puts that story and those characters in a believable world.
“One of the things I love about ‘Wreck-It Ralph,’” continues Lasseter, “is that we have four really unique worlds. One is the 8-bit world of Fix-It Felix Jr., one is the hyper-realistic world of Hero’s Duty, and one is the super-cute Sugar Rush that has a Japanese anime flavor. The fourth world is Game Central Station, which is inspired by Grand Central Station in New York.”
According to Lasseter, filmmakers pulled out all the stops—visual development, art direction, animation, character development, visual effects, lighting, cinematography and music—to shape and differentiate each of the worlds. Nearly 190 unique characters populate the worlds—three times that of any other WDAS film—each designed to fit within its own world. Tying it all together is Ralph, who’s on an epic journey to find acceptance.
“‘Wreck-It Ralph’ is a road movie,” says screenwriter Phil Johnston. “It’s just a little more complicated with four different worlds. But whether your character’s stuck in a small town or in a land made of candy, someone has left home in search of something bigger. Ralph may go to these fantastic, diverse places, but he’s always true to himself—even as his character evolves.
“One of the really cool things about this movie is that the characters are real—despite being arcade-game characters,” continues Johnston. “They’re real people with real feelings.”
That emotion is what will most appeal to audiences, says Lasseter. “The hallmark of a Disney film is the heart and it’s the foundation of ‘Wreck-It Ralph.’ It is one of the funniest films I’ve ever been associated with—so clever and beautiful. But it’s the heart that just catches you by surprise.”
Adds Spencer, “The film takes place in the world of arcade-game characters with all the fun that goes with that, but at its core, it’s really a relatable story. We’ve all wondered at some point in our lives if maybe there’s something more out there. We’ve all imagined taking off on that adventure.”
“A good movie makes the audience feel like they’ve journeyed with the characters,” says Moore. “I think the audience will expect comedy and action. They’ll expect the state-of-the-art animation and spectacle that’ll blow them away. But I think they’ll be surprised by how much they’re going to love these characters.”
“Wreck-It Ralph” is directed by Moore (“The Simpsons,” “Futurama”), who won a directing Emmy® Award in the category of Outstanding Animated Program for “Futurama’s” “Roswell That Ends Well.” Moore also directed an Emmy® Award-winning episode of “The Simpsons” titled “Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment.” Spencer (“Bolt,” “Lilo & Stitch”) produces. The screenplay was written by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee based on a story by Moore, Johnston and Jim Reardon.
Providing the voice of Wreck-It Ralph is John C. Reilly, who received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the musical “Chicago” and starred in films including “Carnage,” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “The Aviator” and “Step Brothers.” Emmy®-winning actress and comedian Sarah Silverman gives voice to Vanellope von Schweetz. Silverman starred in her own Comedy Central show, “The Sarah Silverman Program.,” and can be seen in the drama feature “Take This Waltz.” Tapped to voice Fix-It Felix, Jr. is Jack McBrayer, an Emmy® nominee for his role on “30 Rock” who can be seen in “The Campaign” and “The To-Do List.” Jane Lynch, who gives voice to Sergeant Calhoun, won Emmy® and Golden Globe® Awards for her role in “Glee.”
Filmmakers maximized the performances by pairing up cast members during their recording sessions. “In animation, we typically record the actors by themselves—it’s a good process, it works,” says Moore. “But a big part of my job is making the movie feel like it’s happening before the audience’s eyes, as if it’s just been captured on film and not worked on—frame by frame—for years. So to get a certain spontaneity in the performances of the actors by allowing them to work together—to look each other in the eye and act and react while recording their voice tracks—worked really well. It became a very collaborative room—me, the writers, the actors. It got crazy at times, but that’s when we knew we were getting close to finding gold.”
The voice cast also includes Alan Tudyk (“Suburgatory”) as King Candy, Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) as Taffyta Muttonfudge, Joe Lo Truglio (“Wanderlust”) as Markowski, Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”) as arcade owner Mr. Litwak, Dennis Haysbert (“The Unit”) as General Hologram, Adam Carolla (“The Adam Carolla Project”) as Wynnchel, Rachael Harris (“The Hangover”) as Deanna, Edie McClurg (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) as Mary, Horatio Sanz (“Saturday Night Live”) as Duncan and Stefanie Scott (“A.N.T. Farm”) as Moppet Girl.
Classification U
Films released by KRS