Ron’s Gone Wrong Star Kylie Cantrall on balancing real-life and social media.
As long as you’re just not letting it take over your life and having that balance of knowing when to put the phone down and having those real in-person connections, I think it’s so important to know your limits and not let it be your whole world.
Kylie Cantrall
Recent events have publicly revealed the toxicity of social media and how it has a negative influence globally. So often, it is important to realize the need to separate ourselves from social media to better our mental health. And perhaps 20th Century Studios’ forthcoming animated film like “Ron’s Gone Wrong” can teach us those lessons.
Set in a future where walking, speaking, digitally connected “B-bots” became kids’ friends, Barney is a socially awkward middle-schooler (Jack Dylan Grazer) who finds out that his new B-bot Ron (Zach Galifianakis) never quite works. While on their journey, Barney tries to impress the popular girl in school, Savannah (Kylie Cantrall), who he likes.
ThatsItLA joined their fellow journalists at the virtual press conference for “Ron’s Gone Wrong” to talk about the film’s message of finding your identity at a young age while also navigating the challenges of living in a world that’s reliant on social media.
Kylie Cantrall spoke about the real-life social pressures of fitting in and how she hopes young girls can relate to her character, Savannah. “Savanah, you know, she’s your classic popular girl in school, and from the outside, I think, she seems like she has it all together. And, social media is a huge part of this film, and she’s taking these cute selfies, and she’s doing these makeup tutorials,” she said of her character and her relatability. “But I think underneath it all, she’s just a young girl trying to figure herself out, and I hope that young girls can relate to her and understand the pressures that she goes through and kind of resonate with that part of her.”
Of course, when it comes to being the most popular kid in high school, there is a lot of pressure to keep up appearances. And that can all change when things go south, and what was an embarrassing moment turns out to be a humiliating viral moment. Cantrall sees how that can terrify a person and how important it is to disconnect ourselves from social media every so often. “I think a lot of girls can relate to this, just so many pressures that come with social media and especially in this cancel culture too. It definitely is a scary thing,” she said.
So Cantrall believes in finding that balance and not letting social media activity consume you. But when we live in a world where our social media can be connected to our work, that may be a bit difficult. Still, she offered this piece of advice: “As long as you’re just not letting it take over your life and having that balance of knowing when to put the phone down and having those real in-person connections, I think it’s so important to know your limits and not let it be your whole world.” she said. “But it’s hard, especially when it’s a part of my work and stuff, but I try to find the delicate balance.”
“Ron’s Gone Wrong” voice talents also include Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Coleman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, and Rob Delaney. It is directed by Sarah Smith and Pixar veteran Jean-Philippe, with Octavio E. Rodriguez co-directing. The script was written by Peter & Smith. Julie Lockhart
“Ron’s Gone Wrong” opens exclusively in theaters on October 22, 2021.
