The Cast and Crew of Ralph Breaks The Internet Talk About The Changing Social Space

November 19th, 2018 by justJENN

It’s 2018 and Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope are back for more adventures! The cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet gathered to talk about the sequel to Disney’s 2012 hit, Wreck-It Ralph. The new movie debuts on November 21st and the cast and crew were eager to talk about the changes to our beloved characters and the impact of social media and the internet on the new story.

John C. Reilly (voice of “Ralph”), Sarah Silverman (voice of “Vanellope”), Taraji P. Henson (voice of “Yesss”), and Jack McBrayer (voice of “Felix”) were joined by Director Rich Moore, Director Phil Johnston, Producer Clark Spencer and co-writer Pamela Ribon.

At the end of Wreck-It Ralph all was good in the land of video games, Ralph had found a friend and Vanellope had become a racer. But that was 6 years ago and times have changed and so has the world. The internet has taken over and Vanellope’s contentedness is starting to wane. She wants more out of life while her BFF is happy to be living his daily routine.

This movie is about how friendships grow and change, and Reilly noted how the setting played a big part in conveying that idea, “There’s a lot of really fun metaphors that we’re also playing with in the film. And this idea that the arcade is like the childhood kind of arena of their friendship and the Internet represents the sort of larger world beyond as they grow and mature.”

Joining Ralph and Vanellope this go-round are a bunch of new and exciting characters, due to the fact that the internet is so wide open and expansive. This new world introduced Yesss, the head algorithm of a trend-making website called BuzzzTube. If it’s hip, if it’s trendy, if it’s now, Yesss has seen it first and shared it with the world.

Voicing a Disney character was a bucket list item for Henson, “I just thought she was incredible. I mean, when Rich and Phil brought her to me and explained her, I was like, this is a no brainer. She’s a go getter. She’s the head of a company. She’s no nonsense. She has heart.”

For Henson, Yesss’ advice to Ralph hit close to home, “My favorite scene is when Ralph finds himself in the comment section or the comment room. She comes in and she tells him it’s not you, it’s them. They’re mean. They’re hurt, so they’re hurting you. It grounded the film for me and it grounded the character for me. Made her multi dimensional.”

This value of the internet and its space played deep into the story, “Our relationship to this technology, its power, and its effect on us, we don’t even quite understand yet. It’s as powerful as like a nuclear bomb. But it uses other means. So it was really exciting in the context of an entertaining Disney film to be able to talk about some of these issues in a really, really real way. Its effect on people,” said Reilly.

Musing further, Reilly explained, “Why do we crave the anonymous acceptance of people we don’t know? All of this stuff. The way we’re bombarded with commerce on the Internet. So we made this fun entertaining story. But I think certainly you must have asked this question for this reason. That you come away from the film thinking about some of the most important issues of our time.”

One of the most memorable scenes from the trailers are the cameos by the Disney Princesses. Actually becoming one was exciting for Silverman, “It’s a thrill. And it’s something that the idea of Disney Princess, what makes it good is that it has grown and changed. That Disney has taken on progress and inclusivity and has grown and changed in positive ways. And where a classic Disney Princess, and really, this movie just faces it head on. Leans right into it.”

Changing up those ideals was momentous, “Well, you get saved by a man. And you’re in great distress. Your life is threatened. And then someone else saves you. And then to all in one movie acknowledge all of that and then shatter it is so exciting,” exclaimed Silverman. “And to get to be this kid who becomes like a princess with an attainable waist line. And wearing comfortable clothes.”

Ralph Breaks the internet opens in theaters on November 21st!

Like Wreck-It Ralph on Facebook
Follow Wreck-It Ralph on Twitter
Follow Wreck-It Ralph on Instagram
Visit the official Ralph Breaks the Internet website

Posted in Disney, Travel/Lifestyle| No Comments »