BURBANK, CA -- The glory days of the coin-op videogame is the setting for "Wreck-It Ralph," a full-length CG animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Directed by Rich Moore, the movie will showcase the vocal talents of John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman. | VIEW TRAILER
The story focuses on Ralph, the bad guy in an 8-bit videogame, who spends 30 years being forced to be the villain of his original game (called Fix-It Felix Jr.). One day, Ralph escapes into different videogames where he proves that he can be a hero. Along the way he meets characters from Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter, Pac-Man and other coin-op classics.
At the recent E3 consumer videogame exposition in Los Angeles, Disney displayed a nonworking prop of the 1980s style arcade cabinet for Fix-It Felix Jr. Observers said it was "clearly modeled on Nintendo's design for Donkey Kong."
"Wreck It Ralph" opens in theaters on Nov. 2
Separately, Kevin Williams of KWP Ltd. recently issued an open letter to the amusement trade in which he asks industry leaders to get behind "Wreck-It Ralph" and develop their own promotions around the movie. Williams is editor of The Stinger Report and a former Disney executive. | SEE WILLIAMS' LETTER
