Walt Disney Animation Studios looks to really up its game with “Wreck-It Ralph”

Jim Hill

13 years ago

Every day for the past 30 years, Wreck-It Ralph has done the
exact same thing. He first enters his home, (which is located inside of this cozy
tree stump that is hidden away in the heart of this beautiful 8-bit pine forest)
…

… only to then have a bulldozer come along and rudely push
Wreck-It Ralph's tree stump out of that pine forest & then deposit it in
the local dump. So that a brand-new, 5-story-tall brick apartment building can be
build right on top of the site of his former home.

This – of course – enrages Wreck-It Ralph. Who then screams …

… as this 9-foot-tall, 600 pound backwoodsman climbs to the
top of this apartment building. And then
– using just his fists – Wreck-It Ralph takes the place apart, brick-by-brick.

The residents of this new apartment building are,
understandably, terrified by Wreck-It Ralph's behavior. Which is why they cry
out a hero, Fix-It Felix Jr. Who comes on the scene, proudly proclaiming …

Then – using his magic hammer – Fix-It Felix Jr. is not only
able to repair that apartment building, he's also able to defeat Wreck-It
Ralph. And after driving that displaced behemoth back to the dump, the
residents of Niceland Apartments award Fix-It Felix with a medal …

… while Wreck-It Ralph reluctantly settles down for the
night in the dump, wondering if perhaps there's a way that he can break out of this
now-three-decades-long destructive routine. But since Ralph lives inside of a
classic arcade game …

Photo by Angela Ragno

… what options does he really have? Wreck-It Ralph can't
just break out of that Fix-It Felix game and then go off in search of a new
home, a new way of life … can he?

That's the basic premise of Walt Disney Animation Studios'
next production, "Wreck-It Ralph." Which Rich Moore (i.e. the "Simpsons" and "Futurama"
veteran who will be directing this CG comic action-adventure) promises will
have a very different look.

" 'Wreck-It Ralph' will actually have a number of different
art directions. As our title character moves from his original 8-bit game to a
more modern shooter game, you'll see the art direction of this movie change.
Likewise when Wreck-It Ralph moves to the world of an elaborate kart racing
game, you'll see the art direction of this movie change yet again," Moore
explained.

(L to R) Sarah Silverman &
Jack McBrayer talk with Rich Moore about the
characters that they play in "Wreck-It
Ralph." Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And who will Wreck-It Ralph interact with after he leaves
his 8-bit world?," you ask. Well, when this 9-foot-tall behemoth enters the
game world of Sugar Rush (which is modeled after a Mario Kart
racing game), he
then meets Vanellope von Schweetz, who will be voiced by Sarah Silverman.

"My character is kind of a reject in her own game. The other
characters in Sugar Rush won't let her play. So she's kind of a kindred spirit
for Wreck-It Ralph. In that Vanellope also wants to break out of her rut and
see what other games, what other worlds might be out there," Silverman said.

One character who doesn't want anything to change — ever — is
Fix-It Felix, who is voiced by Jack McBrayer, that Emmy-nominated scene-stealer
from NBC's "30 Rock."

"My character has control issues. He's gung-ho about always being
the good guy. And when Wreck-It Ralph decides to change his routine and go off
in search of new worlds to explore … Well, let's just say that Fix-It Felix Jr.
doesn't handle this news all that well," McBrayer laughed.

"So when's 'Wreck-It Ralph' due to hit theaters?," you ask.
November 2, 2012.

"Right before the Mayan calendar says that the world is going to end. You know, like in that Roland Emmerich movie?, " Moore explained. "California may fall
into the sea and civilization as we know it may end. But thanks to 'Wreck-It
Ralph,' we'll all go out happy. At least we'll go out laughing."

So look for the crew at Walt Disney Animation Studios to
really up their game with ther November 2012 release, "Wreck-It Ralph."

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