In the current age of shared universes and massive franchises, crossovers have become commonplace. Fans of Disney animated features and princess movies, are in for a major treat with the upcoming release of Rich Moore and Phil Johnston's Ralph Breaks the Internet. The highly anticipated Wreck-It-Ralph sequel will bring in a ton of different characters, and Sarah Silverman's Vanellope will meet the Disney Princesses during her journey.
CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg recently visited Disney Animation Studios, where he had the chance to speak with the duo of Ralph Breaks the Internet Directors. And it turns out that the actresses who play the Disney Princesses had a say over their characters. As Rich Moore told it,
And we sent them the script so everyone knew what the scene was like and we thought, I hope everyone's game to do something that's part irreverent but respectful of their characters at the same time. And every single actor that we went to loved the idea and actually when they came in helped elevate the comedy or the scene as an actor does, and would point out, well, my character wouldn't say it like that, she would say it a little bit more like that. And it just added that extra layer of authenticity to the princesses.
Well, this is a classy move. The actresses who portray the iconic Disney princess obviously have a certain bit of ownership over their roles, so it must have been a relief to be consulted about their Ralph Breaks the Internet appearances. The House of Mouse knows what's up.
Ralph Breaks The Internet's contents are still largely a mystery, safe for knowing the title character and Vanellope will be traveling through the internet, and meeting all sorts of challenges. Eventually the Disney Princesses pop up, with all of the living actresses who played the characters reprising their roles. This includes the likes of Mandy Moore (Rapunzel), Lea Salonga (Mulan), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), and Jodi Benson (Ariel).
In his same conversation, Rich Moore also explained how working alongside the actresses actually helped to inform their characters in Ralph Breaks The Internet.
Because, as we got to work with each one of them, it became really apparent to us that they really embody those characters. There is a huge ... Beyond the voice that they provided, obviously, so much of the character is embodied by their personalities. It was amazing. And we even, after each record session, set up a little time where the actress would sit with our animation department just to talk about the characters and the approach that they have when they played the characters. And it was great to watch this new crop of animators who were inspired by The Little Mermaid or the movies from the 90s, to meet these actors that provided the voices. These were the characters that inspired them to become animators.
It should be interesting to see how the characters are ultimately used in Ralph Breaks the Internet, especially given the controversy that has already surrounded the project. Advocates including Anika Noni Rose herself took umbrage with Princess Tiana's altered appearance, with Disney going back to make sure she's more accurate to her look in The Princess and The Frog.
The Disney Princesses will pop up in Ralph Breaks the Internet when it arrives in theaters on November 21, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
