Gal Gadot Joins Voice Cast of Disney’s ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’
“Wonder Woman” star will voice Shank, a tough and talented driver in a gritty online racing game
Juliette Verlaque | August 10, 2018 @ 8:34 AM
Last Updated: August 10, 2018 @ 9:11 AM
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Gal Gadot will be joining the voice cast of Disney’s”Ralph Breaks The Internet,” it was announced Friday.
The actress, who shot to fame for her role in “Wonder Woman,” will be voicing new character Shank, “a tough and talented driver in an intense and gritty online racing game called Slaughter Race,” according to the statement from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
“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.”
The sequel to the 2012 hit “Wreck-It Ralph” will hit theaters on Nov. 21. The film also stars John C. Reilly as Ralph, and Sarah Silverman as Vanellope.
Gadot launched her film career as Gisele Yashar in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise but her breakout came when she joined the DC Extended Universe as Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” followed by the solo film “Wonder Woman” (2017) and the ensemble “Justice League” (2017). She’s currently filming “Wonder Woman 1984” and set to star alongside Dwayne Johnson in his upcoming action flick “Red Notice.”
“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,” Gadot said in the statement.
Gadot also shared the news on Twitter, writing, “I’m so excited to finally announce that I am playing a character named Shank in Disney’s #RalphBreaksTheInternet hitting theaters this November! Such an amazing experience to be apart of this project with such great creators and cast! Welcome to Slaughter Race!”
I’m so excited to finally announce that I am playing a character named Shank in Disney’s #RalphBreaksTheInternet hitting theaters this November! Such an amazing experience to be apart of this project with such great creators and cast! Welcome to Slaughter Race! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/MxLuWFPJ0L
Writer and director Phil Johnston praised Gadot’s abilities as a voice actor. “There’s so much texture to her voice and so much living in her voice,” he said. “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.”
The Evolution of Winnie the Pooh, From AA Milne to 'Christopher Robin' (Photos)
Not every movie can play on the nostalgia factor for every generation, but no matter how old you are, there’s a good chance that you grew up with Winnie the Pooh in some form. The character created by A.A. Milne has endured for over 90 years as a beloved figure of children’s literature and television. And in that time, that silly old bear has been through a lot. Here, we look at the history of Pooh Bear across his many books and cartoons, all the way up to and including the live action “Christopher Robin."
Disney
A.A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh" (1926)
The first Winnie-the-Pooh story written by Alan Alexander Milne debuted in the London Evening News in 1925 on Christmas Eve. The story, “The Wrong Sort of Bees,” would be the first chapter in the first volume of stories, “Winnie-the-Pooh,” published on October 14, 1926. Milne named the boy in the story after his son, Christopher Robin Milne, and named Pooh after Christopher Robin’s teddy bear Winnie, which he nicknamed after he saw a bear from Winnipeg at the zoo.
Stephen Slesinger (1930)
In 1930, Stephen Slesinger bought the rights to Winnie-the-Pooh from Milne, and by 1931, he had developed a lucrative line of toys, board games, records, radio broadcasts and more. Seen here are some of the original Winnie-the-Pooh toys.
Pooh Goes Color (1932)
Winnie-the-Pooh was first drawn in color with a red shirt starting in 1932, as seen here in this Parker Brothers board game from 1933. The original illustrator, E.H. Shepard, had previously drawn Pooh with a shirt in some instances.
Disney
"Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" (1966)
Disney acquired the rights to Winnie-the-Pooh in 1961 and dropped the hyphens in the character’s name. And in 1966, they released the very first Winnie the Pooh short, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Sterling Holloway originally voiced the character and would do so in subsequent shorts, including the Oscar nominated “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day” from 1968.
Disney
"The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977)
The first Pooh movie, “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” from 1977, was a collection of the four previously released shorts all edited together.
Disney
"Winnie the Pooh and a Day For Eeyore" (1983)
In 1981, Hal Smith took over voicing duties for the lovable bear in “Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons” and 1983’s “Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore,” the last of the theatrical featurettes Disney released.
Disney
"Welcome to Pooh Corner" (1983)
One of the first shows to air when the Disney Channel launched on April 18, 1983, was a live-action show known as “Welcome to Pooh Corner,” in which human actors wore costumes as Pooh and all the other creatures of the Hundred Acre Wood. The show lasted for three years and 120 episodes.
Disney
"The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1988)
Disney rebooted Winnie the Pooh with another cartoon that ran between 1988 and 1991, “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” complete with an upbeat, memorable theme song. Jim Cummings, a Disney voice actor mainstay, took over the voice of Winnie the Pooh and has remained the voice actor ever since.
Disney
"Return to Pooh Corner" (1994)
In 1994, Kenny Loggins went from the Danger Zone to the Hundred Acre Wood, compiling a collection of children’s songs and lullabies called “Return to Pooh Corner,” including traditional tracks, a song by John Lennon and his own beautiful title track. The album went gold and was nominated for a Grammy.
Getty
"The Tigger Movie" (2000)
The first modern Winnie the Pooh movie was 2000’s “The Tigger Movie,” about the bouncing tiger, who sang, “I’m the only one” while searching for his family.
Disney
"Return to the Hundred Acre Wood" (2009)
Milne’s original series of stories got an authorized sequel in 2009 as written by David Benedictus and illustrated by Mark Burgess, all drawn in the style of Shepard’s original design.
Penguin Random House
"Goodbye Christopher Robin" (2017)
Domhnall Gleeson starred in the biopic about A. A. Milne, “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” in 2017. Also starring Margot Robbie, the film looks at how Milne conceived of the story and how the family adapted to the success of the brand.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
"Christopher Robin" (2018)
Disney’s live-action film “Christopher Robin” imagines Ewan McGregor as an adult Christopher Robin returning to the Hundred Acre Wood after losing sight of fun and family in place of work. Pooh and the other characters are CGI, but are made to resemble weathered toys. McGregor and the actors worked with real, plush, stuffed animals that matched their onscreen counterparts.
Happy #WinnieThePoohDay! Willy nilly silly old bear is over 90 years old
Not every movie can play on the nostalgia factor for every generation, but no matter how old you are, there’s a good chance that you grew up with Winnie the Pooh in some form. The character created by A.A. Milne has endured for over 90 years as a beloved figure of children’s literature and television. And in that time, that silly old bear has been through a lot. Here, we look at the history of Pooh Bear across his many books and cartoons, all the way up to and including the live action “Christopher Robin."