With Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet now available on Digital HD and hitting 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray next Tuesday, I was recently granted an exclusive opportunity to sit down with directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston as well as producer Clark Spencer to talk about their recent blockbuster, which grossed over $505.8 million worldwide ($199M domestic; $306.8M foreign).
Ever since her debut, it's been hard not to notice the striking similarities between Gal Gadot's latest badass character, Shank, and her breakthrough film role, Gisele from the Fast & Furious franchise. While Shank does seem like a combination of all three female leads from Fast & Furious - Gisele, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) - I decided to ask co-director Phil Johnston, who also co-wrote the script, about how much inspiration they initially drew from one of Gadot's more recognizable roles to date.
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ROHAN PATEL: I wanted to ask quickly about one of the new additions to the franchise, Gal Gadot's character Shank. When you were developing her, did you draw any inspiration from her character Gisele in Fast & Furious? Or was that just a happy coincidence?
PHIL JOHNSTON: I mean we were aware, obviously, of Gal's role in that in that film and that character, but more than anything, we were thinking about what would be the best sort of big sister character for Vanellope to have because we think of Ralph as this, kind of, big bumbling big brother-type guy, who's not the coolest and doesn't always have the best ideas, but is a great funny buddy, and we wanted a big sister, kind of, mentor character for Vanellope.
We looked at that character, we looked at Gal’s other roles and we just looked at Sarah’s character Vanellope and thought ‘well, what would she think is cool?’ - And what she would think is cool is someone that’s a badass driver, who has a good heart, and has ultimately lived an extreme life, but is also a very kind person and more than anything, that's how we built that character.
Then, of course, when we when cast Gal, she brings a lot of who she is, as a human being, to that part and that influenced our design and the way the character walks and talks and everything. So, a lot goes into creating the character and Fast and the Furious was was a small part of the inspiration I guess.
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Check back in throughout the week for even more from directors Rich Moore & Phil Johnston and producer Clark Spencer as they spill all the beans about Ralph Breaks the Internet!
In Ralph Breaks the Internet, video-game bad guy Ralph and best friend Vanellope von Schweetz leave the comforts of Litwak’s arcade in an attempt to save her game, Sugar Rush. Their quest takes them to the vast, uncharted world of the Internet where they rely on the citizens of the Internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way. Lending a virtual hand are Yesss, the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube,” and Shank, a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race, a place Vanellope wholeheartedly embraces—so much so that Ralph worries he may lose the only friend he’s ever had.
Ralph Breaks the Internet features:
Directors: Rich Moore & Phil Johnston
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John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph
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Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz
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Gal Gadot as Shank
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Taraji P. Henson as Yesss
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Jack McBrayer as Fix-It Felix, Jr.
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Jane Lynch as Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun
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Alan Tudyk as KnowsMore
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Alfred Molina as Double Dan
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Ed O'Neill as Mr. Litwak
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Sean Giambrone as The eboy
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Flula Borg as Maybe
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Timothy Simons as Butcher Boy
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Ali Wong as Felony
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Hamish Blake as Pyro
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GloZell Green as Little Debbie
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Rebecca Wisocky as ebay Elayne
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Sam Richardson as Lee the Office Nerd
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Jaboukie Young-White as McNeely
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Maurice Lamarche as Tapper
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Melissa Villaseñor as Taffyta
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Katie Lowes as Candlehead
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Jamie Elman as Rancis
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Horatio Sanz as Duncan
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Alex Moffat as Jimmy
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June Squibb as Jimmy's Grandma
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Della Saba as Swati
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Michaela Zee as Nafisa
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Phil Johnston as Surge Protector
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John DiMaggio as Arthur
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Rich Moore as Sour Bill & Zangeif
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Colleen Ballinger as Colleen
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Dani Fernandez as Show Host
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Tiffany Herrera as Tiffany
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Ana Ortiz as Ballet Mom
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Dianna Agron as News Anchor
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Jason Mantzoukas as Hey Nongman
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Raymond S. Persi as Gene
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Fuschia! as Instagram Pop-Up
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Roger Craig Smith as Sonic the Hedgehog
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Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
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Brad Garrett as Eeyore
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Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
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Corey Burton as Grumpy
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Vin Diesel as Baby Groot
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Jason Hightower as Auctioneer #1
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Brian Curless as Auctioneer #2
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Ann Colgin as Auctioneer #3
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Viveca Paulin as Auctioneer #4
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Michael Giacchino as FN-3181
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Kevin Deters as Stormtrooper #1
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Jeremy Milton as Stormtrooper #2
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Jesse Averna as Stormtrooper #3
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Rich Moore as Stormtrooper #4
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Nicole Scherzinger as Mo's Mom
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Brittany Kikuchi as Baby Mo
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Oliver Bénard as Goat
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Ben McKee as Ben
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Daniel Platzman as Daniel
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Dan Reynolds as Dan
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Wayne Sermon as Wayne
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Irene Bedard as Pocahontas
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Kristen Bell as Anna
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Jodi Benson as Ariel
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Auli'i Cravalho as Moana
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Jennifer Hale as Cinderella
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Kate Higgins as Aurora
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Linda Larkin as Jasmine
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Kelly Macdonald as Merida
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Idina Menzel as Elsa
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Mandy Moore as Rapunzel
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Paige O'Hara as Belle
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Pamela Ribon as Snow White
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Anika Noni Rose as Tiana
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Ming-Na Wen as Mulan
Ralph Breaks the Internet is now available on Digital HD and arrives
on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 26