This decade of the 2010’s seems to be placing a strong emphasis on “girl power” and audiences everywhere love that! With impressive, fearless female leads taking to the stage and screen, viewers are seeing a whole new world of possibilities. Disney princesses are breaking the traditional mold, Marvel’s female heroes are getting more screen time, and even the DCEU brought Wonder Woman to the big screen. Speaking of Wonder Woman, actress Gal Gadot who brought the hero’s story to life will make her Disney debut in this fall’s Ralph Breaks the Internet.
What’s happening:
- Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot is voicing a brand new character named Shank in the Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet.
- Ralph and Vanellope encounter Shank and her unusual cohorts when they venture to the internet in search of a replacement part for Vanellope’s game, Sugar Rush.
- Shank, a tough-as-nails street racer, takes her role and her tricked-out car very seriously and doesn’t like to lose. When Vanellope finds herself in a street race with Shank, her Sugar Rush driving skills are put to the test—and Shank is impressed.
- Shank’s approach to racing—and life in general—opens Vanellope’s eyes to the limitless possibilities of the internet and the excitement of a new world that feels like home to her.
- Gadot shared the news with fans on her Instagram saying, “Such an amazing experience to be apart of this project with such great creators and cast!”
What they’re saying:
- Gal Gadot: “Shank is amazing at driving cars and has this bad-girl vibe to her. But as the movie goes on you realize how fun, wise and warm she really is on the inside, which is what I like most about her.”
- Rich Moore, director on who Shank is: “She is the coolest character in this world of Slaughter Race. Shank’s lived a lot, she’s seen a lot, yet she’s got nothing but kindness in her heart—that’s the duality of that character.”
- Phil Johnston, director/writer on Gal Gadot as Shank: “There’s so much texture to her voice and so much living in her voice. If Ralph is Vanellope’s big-brother figure, we wanted a big-sister figure. We wanted someone that Vanellope would look up to, and Gal is definitely someone kids—and a lot of adults I know—aspire to emulate. I can’t imagine anyone else embodying that part.”
More Ralph Breaks the Internet news:
- Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly gave readers a first look at Vanellope hanging out with the rest of the Disney princesses. According to the article, she convinces the other royals to let loose and relax a little resulting in some fun wardrobe changes.
What she’s saying:
- Sarah Silverman, voice actress for Vanellope von Schweetz: “I’m very proud of my character being a Disney princess with a human waist. I love that she is a princess but wears, like, a hoodie, and she inspires them all to wear comfortable clothes. It didn’t really cross my mind that I’m a Disney princess — like, that I’m canon— until we all met this year, and I got a little choked up. It’s corny, I know, but I was like, ‘Oh s—t, right. I’m this Jewish, comfortable-clothes-wearing Disney princess. How cool is that?”
- Sarah Silverman: “The princesses and Vanellope learn a lot from each other, but what happens in that discussion is acknowledging the… I don’t want to say just blatant sexism, but the kind of dated, antiquated idea of princesses and bringing it up to a feminist — meaning equal — code.”
UPDATE: During Disney Channel’s premiere of Freaky Friday, they premiered a new Ralph Breaks the Internet sneak peek featuring Shank:
Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly as Ralph, and Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Ralph Breaks the Internet opens in theaters nationwide on November 21, 2018.