Rich Moore
Rich Moore is a notable animation director recognized for his significant contributions to both television and feature films. Born in 1963 in Oxnard, California, he developed a passion for animation early in life, citing influences from Disney films like The Jungle Book and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Moore graduated from the California Institute of the Arts in 1987, where he was deeply influenced by the animation community.
His career began with Ralph Bakshi, where he honed his skills before joining the team of The Simpsons as a storyboard artist. He quickly rose to the role of director, contributing to the series' distinctive comedic style and earning an Emmy Award. Moore later directed episodes of Futurama, a series that gained a cult following and received multiple Emmy nominations during his tenure.
In film, he gained prominence as the co-writer and director of Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, which was both a critical and commercial success. He continued this success with Zootopia and its sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet, both of which were highly acclaimed. After leaving Disney for Sony Pictures Animation, Moore is set to direct a new project related to Jack and the Beanstalk, indicating his ongoing influence in the animation industry. Throughout his career, Moore has been a key figure in shaping modern animated comedy, reflecting a distinctive style rooted in his CalArts education.
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Subject Terms
Rich Moore
Director
- Born: 1963
Contribution: Rich Moore is an animation director known for episodes of the hit Matt Groening series The Simpsons and Futurama and for his feature-length animated films Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Background
Rich Moore was born in 1963 and raised in Oxnard, California. Moore has described himself as a fan of early video games and neighborhood video arcades. Disney animated films were a major inspiration to Moore as a child, especially the film The Jungle Book (1967), which he remembers as the first animated movie he saw as a child. The Hanna Barbera cartoons of the 1970s and '80s also inspired him.
Moore attended the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and graduated in 1987. Moore has said in interviews that the CalArts community and the approach to animation developed there has been a dominant influence in his career, appearing in his work on both television and films.
Career
Moore’s first job after graduation was with director-animator Ralph Bakshi, a legendary animator responsible for the 1970s Lord of the Rings animated movies and the cult classic film Wizards (1977). Bakshi was hiring graduates to work on his series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (1987–88). Moore worked on the series as a character modeler (1987), writer (1987), and storyboard artist (1988). He has credited his time with Bakshi as a major creative influence.
In 1989, Moore was hired as a storyboard artist on FOX animated series The Simpsons, developed by cartoonist Matt Groening and first appearing as a series of shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show. Moore realized it was a major career opportunity to work on a type of animated series that had not been attempted since The Jetsons. Moore was promoted to director during his first year on the show because the producers were reportedly having difficulty finding a director who understood the comedic intention of the series.
Moore was one of the original directors on The Simpsons, directing seventeen episodes between 1990 and 1993 and helping to craft the overall nature of the series. During his tenure as director, Moore shared an Emmy Award for outstanding animated program for the 1991 episode “Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment.” After leaving The Simpsons, Moore worked briefly on the animated series The Critic (1994–95), starring former Saturday Night Live actor John Lovitz along with a number of Simpsons voice actors.
In 1999, Moore began working on the new Matt Groening and David X. Cohen series Futurama, which became a cult hit and continued to reemerge over the years despite cancellation announcements in 2003 and 2013. Moore directed five episodes of the series between 1999 and 2001. Among the accolades the series received while Moore was associated with it were four Primetime Emmy nominations for outstanding animated program episode, in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004, and a Primetime Emmy win for the 2001 episode “Roswell That Ends Well” in 2002. The same episode also won a 2003 Annie Award for best direction in an animated television production.
Moore went on to direct episodes for the comedy series Drawn Together in 2005 and 2006 and six episodes of the short-lived animated series Sit Down Shut Up (2009). In 2008 he received a major break in his career when Disney asked him to cowrite and direct a planned animation film about characters living in a video game world, resulting in the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph. The film evolved from an idea that Disney had been attempting to develop for about fifteen years without success.
Moore and producer Clark Spencer, who had previously worked together on The Simpsons and other projects, developed the idea to focus on popular arcade-style video game characters of the 1970s and 80s. Initially, the film focused on the life of Fix-It Felix, the hero of a game like Donkey Kong, but Moore felt that it might be more interesting to have a main character who is supposed to be the villain in a game universe and so began to focus on the character of Wreck-It Ralph.
A key to the success of the project was the plan to include cameo appearances from many different iconic video game characters, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac Man, and characters from games like Street Fighter and Mortal Combat. Moore was surprised that none of the companies who were asked to participate refused the offer. The film also features the voice talents of John C. Reilly and comedian Sarah Silverman among an all-star cast. Wreck-It Ralph was a major commercial and critical success, and Moore won an Annie Award for best direction of an animated feature. Wreck-It Ralph was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2013 for best animated feature, though it ultimately lost to Brave.
Moore went on to cowrite, codirect, and provide voice for the Disney animated features Zootopia (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). The talking-animals picture Zootopia (known abroad as Zootropolis) grossed over $1 billion worldwide and won both the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for best children's feature film and the Oscar for best animated film. Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph reuniting Reilly and Silverman, was also a critical and commercial success, with $529 million in worldwide box-office earnings and an Oscar nomination for best animated feature.
In 2019 Moore departed from Disney to join Sony Pictures Animation to gain greater artistic independence. He became a producer for Sony's animated musical Vivo.
In early 2022, Moore signed an exclusive deal to create, produce, and develop original content for Skydance Animation. The company, which is part of Skydance Media, made several award-winning animated productions in association with Apple TV+. In 2023, Skydance's contract with Apple ended and the company signed to produce content for Netflix. It was announced that Moore would be directing a Jack and the Beanstalk-related project for release in 2025.
Impact
As the director of an Academy Award–nominated animated film and a director of both The Simpsons and Futurama, Moore has played a major role in shaping the modern style of animated comedy, both in film and television. As Moore has said in interviews, he represents a school of animation developed through the CalArts animation program and is one of several representatives of this style who are dominating the industry.
Personal Life
Moore lives and works in California. In interviews he has said that he still enjoys watching animated features and playing video games; tabletop Pac-Man is one of his all-time favorites.
Bibliography
Alter, Ethan. “Game On! Rich Moore Evokes Childhood Arcade Games in Wreck-It Ralph.” Film Journal International. Film Journal International, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Fleming Jr., Mike. "Netflix Sets Skydance Animation In Multi-Year Deal, First Up Is Alan Menken Musical ‘Spellbound;’ Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem Star." Deadline, 18 Oct. 2023, deadline.com/2023/10/netflix-pacts-skydance-animation-in-multi-year-deal-alan-menken-musical-spellbound-rachel-zegler-nicole-kidman-javier-bardem-star-1235577207/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
Franklin, Oliver. “Wreck It Ralph Director Rich Moore on All Those Video Game Cameos.” British GQ. Condé Nast UK, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Grobar, Matt. "Oscar Winner Rich Moore Strikes Overall Deal With Skydance Animation." Deadline, 16 Mar. 2022, deadline.com/2022/03/rich-moore-strikes-overall-deal-with-skydance-animation-1234980674/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
Hill, Jim. “Rich Moore Looks Back at the Roads Not Taken with Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Kay, Jeremy. “‘Zootopia’, ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ Director Rich Moore to Join Sony Pictures Animation.” Screen, 8 Apr. 2019, www.screendaily.com/news/zootopia-wreck-it-ralph-director-rich-moore-to-join-sony-pictures-animation/5138422.article. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
Moore, Rich. “Interview: Wreck-It Ralph Director Rich Moore on the Cultural Acceptance of Games.” PC Gamer. Future Publishing, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Moore, Rich. “Wreck-It Ralph Director Rich Moore Talks Game Spin-Offs and Movie Sequel.” Interview by John Gaudiosi. Forbes. Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Moore, Rich, and Clark Spencer. “Interview with Rich Moore and Clark Spencer, the Director and Producer of Wreck-It Ralph.” Wired.com. Condé Nast, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.
Zahed, Ramin. “He’s Got Game!” Animation 26.8 (2012): 10–13. Print.