Paramount is shelving its planned live-action/CGI hybrid Rugrats movie in favor of an animated WWE project. Additionally, the company has given its next Spongebob Squarepants movie a new title, but we'll get there in a moment. Starting from the top, a new report claims Paramount has pulled the upcoming Rugrats movie from its scheduled release date of Jan. 29, 2021. No reason was provided by the studio for putting Tommy Pickles and his pals back in their playpen, and it's not yet clear if the movie is merely getting delayed or if the project is getting shelved indefinitely. It's worth noting that the movie was also originally set for a Nov. 2020 release before getting pushed back to 2021.
With Rugrats off the table, Paramount has replaced it with another animated movie to be released on that date. The studio will instead premiere the Paramount Animation and WWE Studios collaboration Rumble, an animated movie set in a world where "monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes." Of course, the movie will feature some WWE talent providing voices, including Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns. Additionally, the cast will feature the voices of Will Arnett, Terry Crews, and Geraldine Viswanathan. This also pushes Rumble back six months from its own initial release date, as it was first scheduled to be released on July 31, 2020.
As it pertains to Paramount's animated projects, the studio has also given its next Spongebob Squarepants movie a new title. Originally subtitled It's a Wonderful Sponge, the Nickelodeon TV adaptation will now be called Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge on the Run. Directed by Tim Hill, the movie will feature franchise stars Tom Kenny (Spongebob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Mr. Lawrence (Plankton), and Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) all coming back to reprise their roles. Serving as a prequel, Sponge on the Run will be the third big-screen adaptation of the popular animated series, following the 2004 and 2015 releases of the prior installments.
Just recently, Paramount also released the trailer for the redesigned Sonic the Hedgehog movie, giving fans a better look at the furry blue speedster's updated design. The movie was originally set to be released this month but was given its own delay due to the negative reaction to its previous trailer. Looking at each version side-by-side, the difference is night and day, and it's clear Paramount made the right call in this particular movie delay. Sonic the Hedgehog will be released on Feb. 14, 2020.
While Paramount's Rugrats movie will now be seen later than scheduled (if at all), fans of the original animated series can still look forward to Nickelodeon's planned television revival. Unlike the Rugrats live-action / animation hybrid movie, the series will be animated and more in line with the original run of the show. No word yet on when those new episodes will make it to television, but it has been reported the network had ordered a full season's worth with 26 episodes. This news comes to us from Deadline.