Photo from Wreck-It Ralph/Facebook
Disney Animation, the studio behind the successful 2012 animated film Wreck-It Ralph, announced Thursday (Friday in Manila) that the much-awaited sequel is now in development and slated for a March 9, 2018, release.
The news was confirmed by the the company through a Facebook Live video showing Ralph going digital, standing with sidekick Vanellope over billboards parodying Google and Amazon.
Disney also posted the news on its official Twitter page.
“I’m gonna wreck it!” Again! @DisneyAnimation confirms Wreck-It Ralph sequel. Here’s a first look at concept art. pic.twitter.com/quJWoZ28Nz
— Disney (@Disney) June 30, 2016
Earlier in spring, John C. Reilly, who voices the titular not-so-bad bad guy, unofficially announced the follow-up film.
“It’s top secret but I’ll tell you this much. Ralph leaves the arcade and wrecks the Internet,” Reilly teased. “What could go wrong?”
The 51-year-old veteran actor also expressed his excitement upon lending his voice to the beloved children’s character.
“Ralph is a character very near and dear to my heart. I’m really looking forward to playing the big lug again,” Rilley was quoted saying in a report on ohmy.disney.com.
“Making the first Wreck it Ralph was one of the most special experiences I’ve ever had and I’m really looking forward to bringing him back to life. So many kids I’ve met all over the world are excited to see him again too. They tell me all the time!” he added.
Rich Moore, who directed the first film while also helming “Zootopia,” will also return to direct the sequel, along with Phil Johnston, who co-scripted the original. “Frozen”’s screenwriter, Jennifer Lee, is also on board the project.
“From the moment we started working on the first Wreck-It Ralph, we knew there were so many possibilities with these characters,” Moore said. “This time, Ralph’s wrecking wreaks havoc on the Web—as only he can do. Characters we loved in the first film are back and we are ecstatic to be working with them—and the actors who voice them—once again.”
The original “Wreck-It Ralph” made an impressive showing after its release in November 2012, pulling in $189 million domestically and just under $500 million worldwide.
Apart from Reilley, stand-up comedian-turned-actress Sarah Silverman will also reprise her role as the feisty Vanellope Von Schweetz. Khristian Ibarrola