Disney’s upcoming animated comedy, Wreck-It Ralph, inspired by the old 8-bit video arcade games, got a great update last summer from the film’s director, Rich Moore, as well as an official synopsis that sounds rather excellent.
We’ve now got the first look at the film to share with you, courtesy of CineHeroes via Rope of Silicon, and they give us a terrific indication of some of the things we can expect from the film.
John C. Reilly is leading the cast as the eponymous Wreck-It Ralph, with Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer (best known for playing Kenneth in 30 Rock), and Sarah Silverman also lending their voices for what is looking like another instant Disney classic.
“Wreck-It Ralph (voice of Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of McBrayer). Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes… so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan—win a medal—but soon wrecks everything, and accidently unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph’s only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Silverman), a young troublemaking “glitch” from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it’s “Game Over” for the entire arcade? “
Back last summer, Moore spoke a little bit about the film and his interest in the project, saying,
“I love the idea of a very simple 8-bit video game character struggling with the complex question: ‘isn’t there more to life than the role I’ve been assigned?’ In his quest for the answer, we journey with our hero through three visually distinct video game worlds. It’s unlike anything anyone’s seen before, and I’m thrilled to be to creating it here at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”
And these great first three images seem to show us at least two those visually distinct video game worlds that he mentions. (The third image I’m not entirely sure about. I can’t decide if it’s a world of its own, or if it’s the kind of map of all the levels available, but I’d guess that the three images correspond to the three worlds we can look forward to delving into.)
Wreck-It Ralph is due to be released in the US on 12th November, and here in the UK on 26th December, which puts it up against Tarantino’s Django Unchained, and quite possibly Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, both of which arrive in the US on Christmas Day. Naturally, each of the three films have a largely different audience (though of course many, like myself, will be in the centre of a three-circle Venn diagram), and should make for a fantastic end to 2012 in UK cinemas.
For now, here are your great first look images for your viewing pleasure. As usual, you can click to enlarge and enjoy them in even more detail. I love that first image of Wreck-It Ralph upon the hill, contemplating his lot opposite the building scalable by Donkey Kong-esque ladders.
