Walt Disney Animation Studios Announces Wreck-It Ralph 2

Rich Moore, director of films Wreck-It Ralph and Zootopia came online in a live facebook broadcast Thursday, starting by thanking fans for the success of Zootopia. He then brought out his co-director Phil Johnston for a special announcement. Before they could make the announcement, though, John C. Reilly, who voiced Wreck-It Ralph in the movie, which the two of them co-wrote, came on screen wearing over-sized Ralph toy fists.

Wreck-it Ralph 2 is officially coming March 9, 2018.

While the stream temporarily froze before additional information could be provided about the film, Disney also released a new teaser image that strongly implies Ralph (along with Vanellope von Schweetz, also returning) will take a journey through the internet this time, instead of through videogames. The teaser shows analogs for websites like StubHub, Google, Amazon, Giphy, Buzzfeed, and more along with an image of both characters, Ralph and Vanellope, happily flexing.

When the stream resumed, Reilly confirmed it, saying, "Ralph leaves the Arcade, and wrecks the internet!"

Wreck-it Ralph took fans into a world of videogames, where a villain from a classic-style arcade made his way through other games, encountering famous characters from across the spectrum of gaming history and learning how to be a hero. The sequel comes six years after the original.

Disney also confirmed that Sarah Silverman will return as Vanellope in a press release after the announcement.

"The world of the internet is the perfect place to send Ralph and Vanellope," said Johnston in the press release of the new setting. "The scope and scale are so vast and the possibilities for comedy are endless."

Next up for WDAS is Moana, hitting theaters November 23, 2016. Their next film was previously announced as Gigantic, a new take on "Jack and the Beanstalk," which had occupied the March 9, 2018 release date. No word yet from Disney on whether Gigantic will be pushed back or be released earlier than expected, but they're obviously not releasing two films on the same day.