Disney Animation isn't typically one for releasing sequels for the studio's top-notch family films but in service of two lovable arcade game characters from 2012's Wreck-It Ralph, why let it be game over? In the upcoming sequel, Ralph and Vanellope are venturing out of the comfort of their retro roots to the World Wide Web. According to the voice of Ralph, John C. Reilly, the pixelated pals' journey through the internet tests their friendship. Here's what he said:
Ralph loves her so much. He's so grateful to have a friend after all those years of being an outcast that he's kind of holding on a little too tight. The challenge for him is how to become a real friend: What does a real friend do when their friend wants to grow? And in classic Wreck-It Ralph fashion, he makes some colossal blunders along the way, almost destroying the world, literally, by stupid ideas.
While Wreck-It Ralph had the pair forming a friendship with one another, per John C. Reilly's comments to USA Today, Ralph Breaks the Internet will explore a budding conflict between them. The sequel has Vanellope's game Sugar Rush in danger as the arcade's owner is forced to unplug it after an over-excited gamer breaks one of the steering wheels on the vintage racing game. A newly homeless Vanellope decides to enter a passage into the internet via a WiFi router to buy a steering wheel replacement herself, with Ralph by her side to help.
It looks like Ralph will become a bit overprotective of Vanellope as they discover the ins and outs of the internet, stunting his friend's development as a character. Ralph and Vanellope will run ins with a bunch of colorful and interesting new citizens of the World Wide Web, such as all the Disney Princesses, primarily voiced by their original actors. Ralph Breaks the Internet will also include a modern driving game called Slaughter House, with its lead character Shank voiced by Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot. Taraji P. Henson will also voice Yesss, an algorithm who can turn Ralph into an internet sensation.
The best Disney films tell a fun and family-friendly over a broader positive message to be discussed. Moana, for example, delivered a story of self-empowerment, and Zootopia tackled racism through the lens of a city of different animals. While Ralph Breaks the Internet will tackle cultivating healthy friendships, it will also touch upon issues surrounding the internet use such as online bullying and trolling.
As the sequel moves away from the nostalgia of arcade games to the current landscape of online gaming, it will play a massive part of the story, thus bringing together a movie more relatable to popular gaming of today. Ralph Breaks the Internet surfs over to theaters on November 21.
