During an interview with IGN, Ralph Breaks the Internet director Rich Moore has revealed that while Lucasfilm had no issue with the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph sequel “honouring” Star Wars characters with “playful jabs”, cameos and Easter eggs, there was one particular Kylo Ren gag that they put the block on.
“At one point we had a joke about Kylo Ren being kind of a spoiled child,” said Moore. “We went to Lucasfilm and said, here’s what we’re doing. And they said, well, we’d prefer that you don’t show him as a spoiled child. You know, he is our villain, and we’d prefer you don’t do that. So we were respectful of that.”
The news is perhaps not too surprising, given that it was reported last year that Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy had ruled that “Star Wars and comedy do not co-exist”. Kennedy had reportedly “flipped out” after learning of the digital short series After Darth from Disney-owned Maker Studios, shelving the completed project next to the Star Wars Detours animated comedy series, and apparently even put the block on a Darth Maul and Darth Vader breakdance battle in Disney’s theme parks.
Prior to the Disney takeover, Lucasfilm had always been a good sport when it come to giving its blessing to Star Wars parodies such as Family Guy’s “Blue Harvest,” “Something, Something, Something, Dark Side” and “It’s A Trap!” and a trio of Robot Chicken specials. However, it seems that Lucasfilm may not be so keen to let people poke fun at their characters these days – and that even extends to those working under the Disney umbrella.
SEE ALSO: Disney releases final trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet
Ralph Breaks the Internet leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet – which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet – the netizens – to help navigate their way, including a website entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trendmaking site “BuzzzTube”.
Ralph Breaks the Internet is being directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston (a writer on the original movie), and will see John C. Reilly joined by returning voice stars Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch. It is set to arrive in cinemas on November 21st in the US and on November 30th in the UK.
