Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph Breaks the Internet (formerly known as Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 ) is the 2018 animated sequel to Walt Disney Animation Studios' 2012 animated feature film, Wreck-It Ralph. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 57th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon.

Synopsis
Ralph Breaks the Internet leaves Litwak's video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph's wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope's video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way, including Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site "BuzzzTube", and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race. Directed by Rich Moore (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph) and Phil Johnston (co-writer Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, writer, Cedar Rapids), and produced by Clark Spencer (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt, Lilo & Stitch), Ralph Breaks the Internet hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.

Cast

 * John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph
 * Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz
 * Taraji P. Henson as Yesss
 * Gal Gadot as Shank
 * Jane Lynch as Sergeant Calhoun
 * Jack McBrayer as Fix-It Felix Jr.
 * Rich Moore as Sour Bill, Zangief and eBay bidder
 * Phil Johnston as Surge Protector and eBay bidder
 * Alan Tudyk as KnowsMore
 * Alfred Molina as Double Dan
 * Ali Wong as Felony
 * Timothy Simons as Butcher Boy
 * Glozell Green as Little Debbie
 * Hamish Blake as Pyro
 * Melissa Villaseñor as Taffyta Muttonfudge
 * Katie Lowes as Candlehead
 * Jamie Elman as Rancis Fluggerbutter
 * Raymond S. Persi as Gene
 * Horatio Sanz as Duncan
 * Sean Giambrine as The eboy
 * Pamela Ribon as Snow White
 * Jennifer Hale as Cinderella
 * Kate Higgins as Aurora
 * Jodi Benson as Ariel
 * Paige O'Hara as Belle
 * Linda Larkin as Jasmine
 * Irene Bedard as Pocahontas
 * Ming-Na Wen as Fa Mulan
 * Anika Noni Rose as Tiana
 * Mandy Moore as Rapunzel
 * Kelly Macdonald as Merida
 * Kristen Bell as Anna
 * Idina Menzel as Elsa
 * Auli'i Cravalho as Moana
 * Brian Curless as eBay auctioneer
 * Flula Borg as Maybe
 * Dani Fernandez as herself
 * Colleen Ballinger as herself
 * Tiffany Garcia as herself
 * Maurice LaMarche as Tapper
 * Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
 * Brad Garrett as Eeyore
 * Corey Burton as Grumpy
 * Vin Diesel as Baby Groot
 * Michael Giacchino as FN-3181
 * Bill Hader as J.P. Spamley (uncredited)
 * John DiMaggio as Arthur

Development
When he spoke about a sequel back in 2013, director Rich Moore said he wanted to try and work in mobile/casual gaming, and he also liked the idea of bringing in different Wreck-It Ralphs from mobile versions or Super Smash Bros.-esque iterations of the character. He also stated that the cast and crew are open to the sequel, and plans to include Mario and Tron.

Serious talks about a Wreck-It Ralph sequel began in 2014. Henry Jackman was the first to leak information, saying the sequel's story is being written. There was a general consensus that a sequel wouldn't be made unless there was a good story. Part of the inspiration for doing a sequel came from Ralph's final line in Wreck-It Ralph; "Turns out I don't need a medal to tell me I'm a good-guy. Because if that little kid likes me, how bad can I be?" According to Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, the more they thought about that particular line, the more dysfunctional it seemed. It gave the impression that Ralph's self-esteem is solely dependent on how Vanellope feels about him, meaning he still has insecurities to overcome and room to grow as a character. This prompted the filmmakers to, like the first film, have Ralph and Vanellope's relationship serve as the center of the story. That's when Rich Moore came up with the idea of having the characters travel to the Internet. This created numerous opportunities for comedy and conflict between Ralph and Vanellope, which excited the creative team.

The story went through a number of revisions. In the beginning, the Internet was essentially the antagonist of the film. It was regarded as a threat to the arcade's way of life, a threat that Ralph sought to wreck. In another version, Vanellope was sucked into the Internet and became the leader of her own website, Vanellope.com. Another had Ralph becoming an Internet sensation corrupted by fame and fortune.

The idea of a prominent Disney crossover involving the Disney princesses was inspired by the "Which Disney Princess Are You?" quizzes that commonly appear on sites like Buzzfeed. The joke was that upon coming across one of these quizzes, Ralph and Vanellope would encounter the princesses themselves. Co-writer Pamela Ribon questioned whether or not Vanellope is an official member of the Disney Princess line-up, considering the character is a princess and comes from the same studio behind Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Ribon then envisioned a scenario in which Vanellope got to meet the princesses inside the Internet, and the concept continued to expand from there. Ribon wrote out the scene and included a number of jokes that appear in the final film. When it came time to pitch it to Rich Moore, Ribon admittedly feared the scene would be rejected. However, it was approved and showed to the rest of Disney Animation to similar praise. With this, the princesses scene was officially part of the movie.

On July 12, 2015, John C. Reilly confirmed the sequel and announced that he is signed on to reprise his role as Ralph.

On March 24, 2016, Rich Moore stated that a sequel is still being planned. Moore also hopes to specifically include an appearance from Mario, citing a "good relationship with Nintendo".

The film was officially announced by Walt Disney Animation Studios on June 30, 2016, with a release date set for March 9, 2018. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman were confirmed to be returning to the cast. On April 25, 2017, the film was given a new release date, having been pushed to November of 2018.

In an interview with Collider, Moore confirms that the film had been in development for about two and a half years by the time of its announcement. Development halted when Moore put the focus on co-directing Zootopia, though things were set back in motion immediately after production on the film wrapped. Phil Johnston, a writer on the original Wreck-It Ralph, was brought on to co-direct alongside Moore in response to his heavy influence on the first movie.

At the 2017 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, it was revealed that the Disney Princesses will feature in speaking roles, marking the first time these characters have all interacted on screen, together. Other appearances from both Lucasfilm and Marvel Comics properties were also revealed. Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch were also confirmed to reprise their roles as Fix-It Felix Jr. and Sergeant Calhoun, respectively.

On July 10, 2018, the Wreck-It Ralph 2 subtitle was dropped from the title.

Music
Composer Henry Jackman returns to score the movie. According to Jackman, his goal was to incorporate elements from the original soundtrack, while adding a new layer to fit in with the Internet's modern environment.

Interestingly, unlike Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet features a full-fledged musical number in the style of classic Disney performed by Sarah Silverman as Vanellope and Gal Gadot as Shank. Alan Menken, who is renowned for scoring a majority of the Disney Renaissance, penned the song, titled "A Place Called Slaughter Race". It was inspired by what lyricist Howard Ashman described as the "I want" song, in which the hero or heroine would burst into song to proclaim their deepest desires. This is a common element in Disney musicals, specially those involving princesses, which connects—narratively—to to the idea of Vanellope embracing her inner-Disney princesses. Phil Johnston doubled as a co-lyricist for the song. In classic Disney Renaissance fashion, Grammy nominee Julia Michaels was signed on to perform the credits version of the song.

The single for this film is "Zero", written and performed by Imagine Dragons.

The Ralph Breaks the Internet soundtrack was released on November 16, 2018.

International premieres

 * November 30, 2018 (United Kingdom)

Trivia

 * The film takes place six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph.
 * This is confirmed by Litwak's Arcade's message board, which reads that a girl named Suzy is celebrating her 11th birthday. In the first film, the message board read that Suzy was celebrating her 5th birthday.
 * By the events of this film, one of the Sugar Rush consoles was removed.
 * The logo for the movie was made to resemble an app icon, while the "Wreck-It Ralph 2" banner resembled a notification/update.
 * Ths first look concept art for the movie (released in 2016) featured parody versions of popular websites. In the final film, real websites were used.
 * Before it was decided that Oh My Disney would serve as a crossover world for Disney properties, Ralph and Vanellope were to instead visit a defunct Disney INFINITY website.
 * When asked about returning characters for the film, Rich Moore mentioned that King Candy—the villain of the original Wreck-It Ralph—will likely remain deceased in the second installment. Alan Tudyk does return, however, as a new character named KnowsMore.
 * Concept art for the Dark Web area has an advertisement for "Turbo Torrent" which features a foreboding depiction of Turbo's smiling face.
 * Each of the Disney princesses were redesigned to have broader, yet coherent style.
 * Veteran animator Mark Henn was brought on as a consultant to ensure that the Disney princesses retained key characteristics despite the broader style. Henn also animated Mickey Mouse's cameo.
 * To ensure that the Disney princess avatars were faithful representations of their classic films, the Ralph Breaks the Internet creative team consulted the original filmmakers, voice actresses and even the characters at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. They also rewatched the films.
 * Prior to the film's release, Disney received backlash over Tiana's redesign, specifically her lightened skin tone and sharper features. In response, Tiana's scenes were reanimated so that she more closely resembled her original depiction.
 * There were plans to have a villain in the movie at one point, but this was scrapped in favor of a narrative in which Ralph served as his own antagonist. The villain was named B.E.V., and was an AntiVirus-inspired cop that lived in the Internet.
 * An insecurity virus supplied to Ralph by Double Dan called Arthur that created Ralph duplicates which invade the Internet may have also been considered as the main adversity of the film.
 * One of the jokes that were pitched involved Kylo Ren from the Star Wars sequel trilogy being portrayed as a spoiled child. However, Lucasfilm requested that the filmmakers scrap the joke out of fear that it would undermine Kylo Ren's role as their villain.
 * In an early version of the script, the movie began with a funeral for Tapper. In during which, Ralph and Vanellope were to give a eulogy, though they instead spent the time talking about themselves. To that, the gathered mourners would rebuke the duo by throwing food and starting food fight.
 * Some versions of the movie had Felix and Calhoun joining Ralph and Vanellope in their journey to the Internet. This was partially altered to keep the arcade relevant, and due to the belief that having too many characters adventuring through the Internet would overwhelm the story.
 * As Mindy Kaling does not reprise the role, Taffyta Muttonfudge is the only returning character not to have their original voice actor.
 * This will be the fifth sequel in the Disney Animated Features canon, after The Three Caballeros, The Rescuers Down Under, Fantasia 2000, and Winnie the Pooh.
 * With the film's release date set on November 21, 2018, roughly two years after Moana 's release, this will be the longest break between two films from Walt Disney Animation Studios since the 28-month gap between The Great Mouse Detective (July 2, 1986) and Oliver & Company (November 18, 1988).
 * The film marks Alan Menken's first contribution to the Disney animated canon since Tangled in 2010.
 * When asked about naming the film with "Breaks the Internet" instead of "Wrecks the Internet", the filmmakers explained that the double meaning behind "break the internet" (being a common phrase on the real-life Internet and being literal as Ralph nearly destroys the world inside the Internet) made the title more appealing.
 * The fifth Disney animated sequel to be rated PG by the MPAA after Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, Planes: Fire & Rescue, Finding Dory and Incredibles 2.

Cameos and other Disney references

 * Star Wars plates featuring Yoda and Chewbacca can be seen on the shelf in Litwak's office.
 * Genie's Lamp from Aladdin is amongst the items up for sale in eBay.
 * The official Disney-owned blog, Oh My Disney, is one of the sites that Ralph and Vanellope visit on their journey.
 * The site is inhabited by numerous Disney characters, as well as characters from Disney-owned subsidiaries—Pixar, The Muppets, Marvel and Star Wars.
 * While Vanellope was running away from the Storm Troopers, she passes Nick Wilde from Zootopia. Which Nick was startled, but shortley let the moment pass and ate his pawsicle.
 * The entrance to the site is modeled after the entrance to Disneyland, while the site's interior is modeled after the floor of a D23 Expo.
 * Sorcerer Mickey can be seen on top the pavilion for Disney Animation.
 * Classic posters and screencaps from various Disney animated movies are also displayed throughout the site.
 * The films featured include: Steamboat Willie, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, Big Hero 6, and Moana.
 * The Star Wars pavilion features the Death Star, TIE Fighters, the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader, and an R2-D2 statue.
 * The Pixar pavilion is based on the entrance to Pixar Animation Studios. It features Luxo, Jr., the Pixar Ball, Arlo, EVE, a Door and scream canister from Monsters, Inc., and a small photo booth with Woody and Buzz Lightyear cutouts.
 * On the Marvel pavilion, Iron Man's glove, Captain America's Shield, and Mjolnir are featured, with Iron Man himself hovering above it.
 * Statues depicting the heads of Kermit the Frog and Beaker are located in The Muppets Show pavilion.
 * Also featured in the background of the site is Hiro Hamada, a picture of Fred and Honey Lemon, wallpaper of Finding Dory and Cars, Carl's House from Up, Big Ben, and the Jolly Roger.
 * One of the First Order Stormtroopers that accost Vanellope is FN-3181, a Stormtrooper from the opening scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
 * A number of paraphernalia can be spotted in the Disney princesses' private quarters, including: Genie's lamp, the poisoned apple, the Magic Mirror, Pascal atop Rapunzel's paint box, Cinderella's glass slipper, a dinglehopper, the cursed spinning wheel, and the family portrait from Frozen Fever (depicting Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf).
 * There is an area dedicated to Tsum Tsum.
 * Toddler Moana appears in the mid-credits scene, as a modern-day little girl playing an app that Ralph and Vanellope hijack.
 * Pocahontas's hair is in constant motion even when indoors, as a nod to the "Colors of the Wind".
 * The Disney princesses' casual clothing are designed with references to their respective films.
 * Snow White's top has artwork of the Evil Queen's apple with the inscription "Poison" underneath.
 * Cinderella's sweater features the Pumpkin Coach and a slogan that reads "G2G" in reference to the stroke-of-twelve deadline.
 * Belle's shirt features a black silhouette of the Beast's head.
 * Jasmine's top has artwork of Genie's hand.
 * Mulan's jacket has artwork of Mushu.
 * Tiana's top reads "NOLA" in reference to New Orleans, Louisiana. The "O" has a crown in the middle, in reference to Prince Naveen.
 * Rapunzel's shirt reads "We've got a dream, the Snuggly Ducklings." and her leggings are patterned with the Corona sun crest.
 * Merida's shirt has a picture of a bear and reads "Mum"
 * Anna's shirt has artwork of a sandwich and reads "We Finish Each Other's".
 * Elsa's sweater reads "Just Let It Go".
 * Moana's top reads "Shiny" and has stylized artwork of Tamatoa.
 * Rapunzel's line, "Do people assume all your problems got solved because a big, strong man showed up?", is a jab at critics who wrongfully accuse all Disney princesses of being "damsel-in-distress" stereotypes that rely solely on their male love interests to save the day, despite the inaccuracy of such claims.
 * Aunt Cass from Big Hero 6 and King Agnarr from Frozen appear on pop-up ads.