On Nov. 2, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Wreck-It Ralph, a 3D animated feature telling the story of the titular arcade game villain who rebels and pursues his dreams of becoming a hero. Directed by CalArts alumnus Rich Moore (Film/Video BFA 87), the film weaves retro video game references into its sleek CG story, and features voice acting by Oscar-nominee John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph, as well as Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch.
Moore, who has directed animated television shows such as The Simpsons, Futurama and The Critic since the ’90s, discusses the film’s origins with iamROGUE.com interviewer, Jami Philbrick, in the video above. He cites other CalArts alumni who share his filmmaking sensibility, including the film’s executive producer and Disney Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter (Film/Video BFA 79).
Moore co-wrote the film’s story with Phil Johnston and fellow Simpsons director and CalArts alumnus Jim Reardon (Film/Video BFA 87). During their years at CalArts, Moore narrated Reardon’s 1986 student film, Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown.
Earning approximately $150 million domestically since its release, Wreck-It Ralph has also earned critical acclaim, scoring an 86 percent on the film review composite site, Rotten Tomatoes. The film can also be added to the long list of films directed by alumni of the CalArts School of Film/Video’s Character and Experimental Animation Programs that have generated more than $26 billion at the box office since 1985.
Read an interview with Moore and producer Clark Spencer in an Oct. 26 article in Wired Magazine.
Below is the trailer for Wreck-It Ralph: