Meanie Harold (franchise)

Meanie Harold is a Disney media franchise primarily consisting of an animated comedy film series produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The series tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain named Meanie Harold, who rebels against his "bad guy" role and dreams of becoming a hero. The series has grossed $1 billion worldwide.

The series is notable for featuring cameos of characters from licensed properties including video games and various Disney franchises.

Premise
Meanie Harold takes places within the arcade machines at Clarkston's Family Fun Center Arcade, Video Game Console, Sports, and Cartoons. After hours, the various characters in the games are able to socialize in their shared power strip. However, these characters know they cannot stray far from their games when the arcade reopens, or else the game will be considered broken and sent off for disposal by Mr. Clarkston. This had happened to racing game character Turbo years earlier, affecting both his game and the one he sabotaged. The titular character is Meanie Harold, from a game called Super Felix Pals. In his game, Harold is the antagonist of the game and aims to wreck an apartment skyscraper, but is always stopped by the game's protagonist, Super Felix and Super Lucas, the Supporting game character, Pretty Mandy. Through events in the first film, Ralph makes friends with Penelope von Mint, a character from the game Sweetie Rush and Izzy Moonbow, a character from the game Mermaid Adventures and while Lucas becomes romantically attached to Michelle Mermaid, from the game's protagonist, while Felix becomes romantically attached to General Gloriosa Daisy and while Mandy becomes romantically attached to Commander Timber Spruce, from the game Camp Hero's Duty.

Meanie Harold (2022)
The 62nd Disney animated feature film. Harold, desiring to be the hero, sneaks into Camp Hero's Duty to steal the hero medal there, instead his met Izzy Moonbow from Mermaid Adventures for the first time Izzy is a unicorn, but inadvertently fires himself off in an escape ship when attacked by a Cy-Bug, one of the game's enemies, through the power strip, and into Sweetie Rush, where he meets Penelope for the first time. Penelope is a glitch within the game who wants to become a playable character, and Harold helps her along, forming a bond between them. Felix, Lucas, Mandy, Gloriosa, Michelle, and Timber team up to find Harold before Super Felix Pals is to be unplugged, and before the Cy-Bug can reproduce in Sweetie Rush and destroy the game. Harold discovers that the population of Sweetie Rush has been suppressed by King Sweetie Pie, who is really Turbo; not only had he managed to escape into Sweetie Rush, but also rewrote part of Penelope's code, displacing her as the game's main character. Harold, Penelope, Izzy, Felix, Lucas, Mandy, Michelle, Gloriosa and Timber work together and defeat Turbo and the Cy-Bugs, saving both Sweetie Rush and the arcade and later sparing Super Felix Pals from being unplugged. Harold is finally recognized as a hero, and happily returns to his duties in his game, while Penelope and Izzy are enjoys her new popularity among the arcade players.

Harold Goes Mad at the Internet (2028)
The 69th animated film produced by the studio, and the sequel to the 2022 film Meanie Harold. Six years after the events of the first film, Sweetie Rush's racing wheel is damaged, and due to the company that produced Sweetie Rush going defunct years earlier, Mr. Clarkston plans to take the game away for spare parts. Harold, Penelope and Penelope learn of a replacement wheel from eBay and it will be delivered in Clarkston's Family Fun Center this Friday, and use a new Internet router in the arcade to travel to the Internet to get it, while the recently married Felix and Gloriosa, Lucas and Michelle, and Timber and Mandy stay to make sure the Sweetie Rush characters have a temporary home. Harold, Penelope, and Izzy successfully win the auction but do not have the funds to get it, and look for job opportunities. When Harold finds a way to earn all the funds by becoming a viral video star with the help of Yeeeaaah, he discovers that Penelope and Izzy may want to stay in the gritty racing game Slaughter Race and not return to the arcade thanks to Chuck, a character from that game. This prompts Harold to use a dark web virus to shut down the game and save Penelope and Izzy, only for the virus to turn on Harold's own insecure feelings and start propagating through the Internet and destroying it. Harold, Penelope, Izzy, and their newfound allies are able to stop the virus in time after Harold accepts the fact that Penelope and Izzy are wants to move on. The two say their goodbyes and Harold returns to the arcade and on Friday morning, just as Sweetie Rush is plugged back in. The two keep in contact, however, and Penelope and Izzy promises that she will eventually return to live in the arcade once Chuck has taught her every trick she can use in Sweetie Rush.

Untitled Meanie Harold Third film (TBD)
Disney Directors Rich Moore revealed in an interview in August 2029 that a hint for Third Meanie Harold film is in the works.

Future
Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston said that a Harold Goes Mad at the Internet spin-off film focusing on the Disney Princesses, Princess Leia, Raya, Madgrial Girls, Asha, Tina Starscout and Anastasia. could be made depending on the audience's response and "if there's a good story to be told". Also, John C. Reilly says that he has an idea for a third sequel, which would see Harold, Penelope, and Izzy "beaming themselves right out into space".

Meanie Harold (2022)
In 2022, a video game of the same name was released alongside the first film for the HDS, Switch, and Matrix. Most of the principal cast from the film reprised their roles with the exception of Rob Riggle as Meanie Harold who was replaced by Brian T. Delaney.

Taking place after the events of the film, the game follows Harold, Felix, and Lucas as they traverse through Super Felix Pals, Camp Hero's Duty, Mermaid Adventures, and Sweetie Rush in an attempt to stop a new army of Cy-Bugs that hatched during one of Penelope's races.

Meanie Harold: Harold Goes Mad at VR (2028)
A VR arcade experience called Meanie Harold: Harold Goes Mad at VR opened at The Void and Dave & Buster's locations in 2028, along with the second film.

Disney Universe
The travellers can acquire a costume based on Meanie Harold.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Advanced
Meanie Harold appears as a playable character in the 2022 video game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Advanced.

Disney Dimensions' series
Meanie Harold, Penelope, and Izzy feature in the 2023 toys-to-life video game Disney Dimensions. The characters are playable via toys available in both single packs and a "Toy Box" pack that adds locations and elements from the original film to the game's "Toy Box" mode. The toys are also compatible with the game's sequels, 2024's Disney Dimensions 2.0 and 2025's Disney Dimensions 3.0.

Disney Speedstorm
Meanie Harold, Penelope, and Izzy feature in DLC character in Disney Speedstorm.

Disney Mirrorverse
Harold, Penelope, and Izzy also appears in Disney Mirrorverse as a update version.

Disney Melee Mania
Harold, Penelope, and Izzy also appears in Disney Melee Mania as a update version.

Disney Magic Kingdoms
Content of Meanie Harold was included in the world builder video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, in a limited time Event focused on Meanie Harold and Harold Goes Mad at the Internet, with Harold, Penelope, Izzy, Felix, Lucas, Mandy, Gloriosa, Timber, Michelle, Yeeeaaah, Chuck and Spamney as playable characters, along with some attractions based on locations of the film. KnowsMore also appears a non-player character within The Internet attraction. Gord was also included as a playable character in a later update of the game. The game also includes costumes for the Disney Princesses based on their comfy clothes from Harold Goes Mad at the Internet. In the game the characters are involved in new storylines that serve as a continuation of the events of Harold Goes Mad at the Internet.

Disney Dreamlight Valley
Harold, Felix, Mandy, Lucas, Penelope, Izzy, Michelle, Gloriosa, and Timber also appears in Disney Dreamlight Valley. Also update characters in Harold Goes Mad at the Internet Characters appears in Knowsmore, Spamney, Chuck, and Yeeeaaah will updated in November 1, 2028.

Kingdom Hearts series
Meanie Harold appears in the upcoming video game Kingdom Hearts IV as a Link. When summoned, he will place explosive blocks and destroy them, causing damage to nearby enemies. A world based on Meanie Harold was added to the 2027 mobile game Kingdom Hearts Union χ as part of an update in April 2029. The world adapts the events of the original film.

Accolades
Both films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but the first film lost to Brave, while the second film lost to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The first film won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, and the second film was nominated. Both films were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

In other media
Harold, Penelope, and Izzy make background cameo appearances in SpongeBob SquarePants episode "The Flower Plot" in the crowd shot, Ever After High (2021) episode "Dumbbell Curve" in foreground all crowd shot cheering at school, and The Loud House episode "Doom Services" in the foreground of a crowd shot depicting a city cheering. Ralph also makes a brief appearance in the Futurama episode "Murder on the Planet Express", on a passing truck and arcade machine, while Vanellope is briefly featured in the El Goonish Shive arc "End of an Era", where character Susan uses their appearance as a digital avatar. Ralph also makes a cameo appearance in The Simpsons episode "Pin Gals" Harold, Penelope, and Izzy as a cameo, short film Plusaversary, as a bodyguard along with Maui from Moana.

Music
The soundtrack to Meanie Harold was released on November 1, 2022.

The soundtrack to Harold Goes Mad at the Internet was released on November 17, 2028.