Back in November, we reported that Nickelodeon is bringing back its beloved animated series Hey Arnold! with a new TV movie. We haven't heard much about the project since then, but today, Nickelodeon officially gave the green light to the movie, along with revealing a few additional details. Take a look at the network's official statement below for Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie.
"Nickelodeon has officially given the green light to a two-part animated Hey Arnold! TV movie, written and executive produced by the TV series' original creator Craig Bartlett. First announced in development late last year, the now-greenlit TV movie will pick up where the original series ended, resolving unanswered questions and plotlines, including Arnold finally getting answers about the whereabouts of his missing parents. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, the two hour-long TV movies will debut in 2017."
The original series followed the everyday life of Arnold, a 4th-grader in a nameless city that resembles Brooklyn, who lives in a multi-racial boarding house with his grandparents and a motley assortment of neighbors and friends. The show also spawned the 2002 theatrical film Hey Arnold! The Movie. Original series creator Craig Bartlett was previously pitching a different series to Nickelodeon, when they started talking about how the Hey Arnold! characters were being resurrected through fan fiction and YouTube short films.
Craig Bartlett took to his Instagram page to announce the news with artwork featuring the title The Jungle Movie. According to the Hey Arnold Wikia page, before the series was cancelled in 2004, Craig Bartlett was planning on making a follow-up to his 2002 animated feature Hey Arnold! The Movie, which was called Hey, Arnold: The Jungle Movie. This would have also served as the series finale, but since Hey Arnold! The Movie didn't fare so well at the box office, the follow-up never happened. Now it seems this story will finally be told, although it hasn't been officially confirmed that the original Jungle Movie plot will be used for this two-hour TV movie.
It isn't known if any of the original voice cast members like Lane Toran (Arnold), Francesca Smith (Helga Pataki), Dan Castellaneta (Arnold's Grandpa), Tress MacNeille (Arnold's Grandma), Jamil Walker Smith (Gerald Johansson) or Justin Shenkarow (Harold Berman) will return to reprise their roles. Now that an official green light has been given, hopefully we'll have more details about Hey Arnold! very soon. Until then, take a look at the artwork posted by Craig Bartlett below.