The news broke last week that Nickelodeon is reviving the cult classic animated series Invader Zim in the form of a new made-for-television movie. The movie comes alongside a sea of older series that are getting a revival, from the Disney XD Ducktales and Netflix’s Fuller House to the Cartoon Network revivals of The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack.
The network has already revealed the the original cast will be returning to portray Zim (Richard Horvitz), GIR (Rosearik Rikki Simons), Dib (Andy Berman) and his little sister Gaz (Melissa Gahn). The original cast, plus the word from Nick that the film is going to feature an adventure that is “wonderfully absurd”, raises hopes for a quality visit to the wild adventures of the alien invader from Foodcourtia.
Nick has been releasing very cryptic teaser trailers that feature a very familiar mix of the menacing and the foolish that has always been the primary make-up of Invader Zim. We have yet to see any actual animation from these teasers, so we can’t confirm yet whether they will be using the same animation style in the film as we saw in the 2001-02 cartoon series or an updated style to appeal to the kiddos (as with Ducktales). If these two promos, dubbed ‘Behold My Evil Laughter’ and ‘Computer, Prepare for World Domination’, are any indication of the movie, then it will definitely retain the tone of the original series.
We know very little about the film so far, except that Nick has given the movie a 90-minute runtime and the assurance that the senior VP of Content Development and Production Animation, Chris Viscardi, gave as a statement when the announcement was made:
The original creator of the series, Jhonen Vasquez, is returning to present this adventure for Zim and crew, so the hopes are high from fans that this will accurately capture the voice and tone that we all expect. It will be interesting to see what an older Vasquez has to say in this creative endeavor, as that can so often change with age. The network is hoping to bring in the old fans and capture a new, younger audience as well, so don’t count on this one being more “adult” than the original series.
“…Invader Zim is one of our great loves. It’s been so exciting to see its popularity grow over the last decade through social media, consumer products, and the Zim comic books. What makes this announcement extra thrilling is the adventure that Jhonen has created for Zim, and I can promise you that it is as wonderfully absurd and strangely heartfelt as any fan of the original series could hope for…”
Screen Rant will keep you updated on Invader Zim as more information becomes available.
Next: Invader Zim Returns in Animated TV Movie on Nickelodeon
Source: Nickelodeon
