‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ Trailer: Zach Galifianakis is a Malfunctioning Robot Buddy in This Animated Film

ron's gone wrong trailer

You’ve heard of a boy and his dog, and all the variations in-between, but we’ve now come to the next stage in the evolution of that concept: a boy and his (broken) robot. Ron’s Gone Wrong, a new animated film from 20th Century Studios and U.K.-based CG animation studio Locksmith Animation, stars Zach Galifianakis as a malfunctioning robot who’s just doing his best and Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam!) as the poor socially awkward middle schooler who’s saddled with him. Watch the Ron’s Gone Wrong trailer below.

Ron’s Gone Wrong Trailer

Don’t be put off by the sleek and shiny ad at the beginning of this trailer — it’s all part of Ron’s Gone Wrong, which is set in a world where the hottest digital AI is a friend-shaped robot called a B-Bot that is billed as a “Best Friend Out of the Box.” But Barney (Grazer) gets a malfunctioning B-Bot that gets into all sorts of hijinks, like traffic accidents and chicken fights, which is a problem for a social outcast like him. But that’s okay, because his malfunctioning robot becomes his best friend. End of story, right?

Considering how we’re primed for robot revolutions in movies now, and right on the heels of the excellent Mitchells vs. the Machines, I can’t help but feel like Ron’s Gone Wrong is preparing for some kind of B-Bot war. But maybe I’m wrong and this really is just a simple movie about a boy learning to love his broken robot.

Ron’s Gone Wrong is the first theatrical release from Locksmith Animation, though it’s got quite an impressive pedigree. The movie is directed by Pixar veteran Jean-Philippe Vine (story artist on Cars 3 and The Good Dinosaur) and Locksmith co-founder Sarah Smith (Arthur Christmas) with Octavio Rodriguez (story artist on “Coco” and “The Incredibles 2”) co-directing. Peter Baynham (Arthur Christmas, Borat and Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm) writes the script with Smith, while Locksmith co-founder Julie Lockhart (Shaun the Sheep Movie) and Lara Breay produce, with Locksmith chairman Elisabeth Murdoch, Smith and Baynham serving as executive producers.

It’s also got quite a cast, with Galifianakis and Grazer joined by Olivia Colman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Rob Delaney, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Marcus Scribner, and Thomas Barbusca.

Here is the synopsis for Ron’s Gone Wrong:

20th Century Studios and Locksmith Animation’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” is the story of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device, which is supposed to be his “Best Friend Out of the Box.” Ron’s hilarious malfunctions, set against the backdrop of the social media age, launch them into an action-packed journey in which boy and robot come to terms with the wonderful messiness of true friendship.

Ron’s Gone Wrong will open in theaters worldwide October 22, 2021.