Jimmy Neutron is a
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
computer-animated media franchise created by
John A. Davis in the 1980s and commenced in 1998 with the pilot ''Runaway Rocketboy''. The franchise focuses on the titular
Jimmy Neutron
James Isaac Neutron is the titular and main character from the film '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' and its spin-off Nickelodeon computer animated television series ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius''. Created by show runner John ...
(voiced by
Debi Derryberry
Debi Derryberry is an American voice actress who has provided voices for a number of animations and video games.
Biography
Derryberry was born in Indio, California to a family of Hungarian Jewish descent. Her grandparents were Holocaust surviv ...
), a young boy with a genius-level intellect.
Films
''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius''
After the pilot was completed, Nickelodeon executives, who were impressed by the pilot and still enthusiastic about the show's potential, raised the prospect of creating a theatrical film to accompany the TV series, much to the surprise of Davis and his team at the studio. During the initial pitch to Nickelodeon, Oedekerk had highlighted the idea that using computer animation would allow the same models and assets to be reused between both a film and a TV show, an idea which Nick held a strong faith in.
Davis further suggested that the feature film be created first, since the characters being modeled could be created at a higher quality than they would have with a TV budget. Although Nick was worried that it would be more difficult to attract a movie-going audience without the TV show to build an install base for the series, these concerns were answered with a series of short TV interstitials which would begin airing in order to build up hype for the upcoming film.
The film was a box office and critical success and was nominated for the first
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...
at the
74th Academy Awards
The 74th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 24, 2002, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (common ...
along with
Pixar's ''
Monsters, Inc.
''Monsters, Inc.'' (also known as ''Monsters, Incorporated'') is a 2001 American computer-animated Monster movie, monster comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Featuring the voices of John Goodman, B ...
'' but lost to
DreamWorks Animation’s ''
Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenso ...
''.
Cancelled sequel
In February 2002, a sequel was reported in development for a summer 2004 release. Producer Albie Hecht reported to The Los Angeles Times that the sequel "would be made on the same budget as the first, but with a new batch of inventions and adventures in Jimmy's town of Retroville." On June 20, 2002, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' reported that writer
Kate Boutilier
Kate Boutilier (born August 2, 1966) is an American screenwriter whose credits include the animated television series ''Rugrats'', ''The Wild Thornberrys'', ''Holly Hobbie & Friends'', and '' All Grown Up!'', and the feature films ''The Wild Thor ...
had signed a writing deal with Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures to write a sequel to the film, but the sequel never materialized. The film was cancelled because the writers could not agree on a story and Alcorn later stated in an interview that "once the TV series came out, there wasn't a lot of incentive to make a movie when fans could simply watch ''Jimmy Neutron'' for free at home."
Possible reboot
In 2016, director John A. Davis stated that he has a story for a ''Jimmy Neutron'' reboot feature that he would like to make, but he is waiting for the "right situation" to make it.
When asked about a reboot in 2020,
Rob Paulsen
Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and three Anni ...
stated "Well, I've got to tell you, man. I go all over the world when we don't have the
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
, and people love Carl. They love Carl. I don't think it would be a bad thing at all to reboot Jimmy Neutron. I think that's one of those shows that a lot of people would love to see again. It was very good. Really smart. That wouldn't surprise me."
Television series
* ''
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'' (sometimes shortened to ''Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'' or commonly ''Jimmy Neutron'') is an American CGI-animated television series. The second installment in the ''Jimmy Neutron'' franchise, it i ...
'' (the first series): Throughout the show, various mishaps and conflicts occur on these adventures, as Jimmy's various inventions go awry. The series was well-received.
DNA Productions
DNA Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio and production company founded in 1987 by John A. Davis and Keith Alcorn, which is best known for its comedy films. It also provided directing, script writing, and production to its clients ...
retooled their pipeline when moving from the film to the TV series, to reuse assets for the episodes. Some of the programming team at the studio programmed a special code that allowed the animators to animate scenes in
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
, which can then be rendered in
Lightwave
LightWave 3D is a 3D computer graphics program developed by NewTek. It has been used in films, television, motion graphics, digital matte painting, visual effects, video game development, product design, architectural visualizations, virtu ...
. This helped the team keep up with the deadline and avoid going over budget.
* ''
Planet Sheen
''Planet Sheen'' is an American CGI-animated television series. It is the third and final installment in the ''Jimmy Neutron'' franchise, the second and final spin-off television series of the film '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'', and a spin-off ...
'' (the second series) was a spin-off focusing on Sheen. Originally designed as a series called Red Acres, it was unrelated to Jimmy Neutron, but after multiple network rejections, including
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
and
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
, the series was re-developed the series to what would become Planet Sheen. The series was not well received by fans, but critics had mixed reviews.
Specials
''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour'' is a trilogy of television crossover specials set between the universes of the animated television series ''
The Fairly OddParents
''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant him w ...
'' and ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius''. The saga consists of ''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour'', ''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 2: When Nerds Collide'', and ''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators'', which premiered on Nickelodeon between 2004 and 2006, and were subsequently released to home video.
The specials combine multiple types of animation, using
traditional 2D animation for the segments set in the ''Fairly OddParents'' universe and
CGI for the ''Jimmy Neutron'' segments.
Video games
*
''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' – The first game was based on the
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
.
* ''
Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron
''Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron'' is a video game for the Game Boy Advance and PC. In the game, the player plays as Jimmy Neutron as he tries to stop his evil doppelganger, Jimmy Negatron, from his evil deeds. It was published by THQ and Nick ...
'' – Jimmy meets Jimmy Negatron, an evil version of Neutron from another dimension. Negatron plans on taking over Retroville and Jimmy must stop him.
* ''
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Jet Fusion'' – Based on the TV movie of the same name.
* ''
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Attack of the Twonkies'' – Based on the episode of the same name.
* Jimmy is a playable character in
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway and
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
''Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2'' is an upcoming crossover fighting game developed by Ludosity and Fair Play Labs, and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is the sequel to ''Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl'' (2021) and an entry in the ''Nickelode ...
Shorts
*''Runaway Rocket Boy'', premiered in autumn 1998, during these shorts he was called Johnny Quasar.
*''Film Promotion Shorts'', a number of shorts were produced many of the inventtoons were released during 1999 - 2000.
Cast
Rides and attractions
*
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida that replaced The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera based on the 2001 movie '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' and it is set to take place after the events of the film. ...
, a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida
* Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer, a steel suspended family roller coaster at Movie Park Germany
References
{{The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
1980 establishments in the United States
Paramount Global franchises