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If you have little ones at home, chances are you are familiar with Nickelodeon. The American Television network, in operation since 1977, is a behemoth that has churned out popular TV series and TV movies, and have made stars out of its actors. Did you know A-listers such as Arianna Grande, Jessica Alba and Ryan Reynolds once starred on shows under Nickelodeon?
Ryan Reynolds on Nickelodeon's Fifteen
Under the Nickelodeon umbrella, there's Nick Junior offering animated series for pre-school children. For the older kids, there are TV series targeted at teenagers. There are even Nickelodeon movies with offerings for pre-schoolers up to teenagers. There are also sister channels such as NickMusic, Teen Nick and NickToons, catering to different age groups and interests. You can say it’s quite unlikely for kids these days to grow up without Nickelodeon. The younger generation is very likely to watch different Nickelodeon shows as they grow. In fact, there’s even an annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards to celebrate its stars and shows.
"Favourite Butt-Kicker" winner Chris Pratt getting slimed
While most of us might have heard of its TV offerings, do you know that the network is behind some of our beloved movies as well? Here is a list of movies under the Nickelodeon Network.
Charlotte's Web (2006)
It’s the famous children story by E.B. White that we all loved. Charlotte's Web was transported to the big screen by Nickelodeon, bringing to life the tale of a spider named Charlotte and how she befriended a piglet named Wilbur. Sporting a star-studded cast that included Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Redford and more, the movie charmed us with Charlotte’s maternal ways and Wilbur’s endearing character. We dare you to tell us you didn’t cry when Sarah McLachlan’s Ordinary Miracle started playing at the end.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
You know it’s going to be awesome when Steven Spielberg teams up with Nickelodeon. The 3D motion-capture computer animated action-adventure movie is quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. Actors were put in suits and the movie was shot in live action movie style by Spielberg. Then, Peter Jackson (yes, The Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson) came in with his WETA Digital team to weave in digital magic to transform actors like Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Daniel Craig into animated characters. The result is a visually breath-taking movie that tells the adventures of intrepid reporter Tintin on his treasure hunt to locate a sunken ship.
Rango (2011)
From the director of three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Gore Verbinski ventured into the world of animated films with Rango, and pulled Johnny Depp along. Depp stars as a pet chameleon stranded in the Mojave Desert of Nevada after falling out of his owners’ car by accident and finds himself in a string of narrow escapes. He meets a desert iguana (Isla Fisher) who takes him to an old desert town inhabited by desert animals. He somehow gets appointed as the town sheriff and finds himself entwined with the town’s troubles and its troublemakers. Rango won the 2011 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and became the first non-Disney or Pixar movie to do so since 2006’s Happy Feet.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2015)
Most of us would have seen an iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at some point in our life, be it the animated TV series or live-action movies. In 2015, Nickelodeon brought us their version, the fifth film in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and the first reboot. The movie starred Megan Fox as April O’Neil, and Will Arnett as a supporting character. The live-action turtles are the most realistic yet among all the movies, and flashier than before. A box office hit, a sequel was released in 2016.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
Who would have thought that something as ridiculous as a talking-pants-wearing Sea Sponge would be so beloved? SpongeBob SquarePants is the fifth longest-running animated series in the US, and it’s only fitting that it gets its own movie. 2004 saw the first SpongeBob movie, starring Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin and David Hasselhoff as we follow SpongeBob’s adventures as he leaves his hometown of Bikini Bottom to track down King Neptune’s stolen crown. The film became the 6th highest animated TV adaptation of all time, and fuelled our passion for the Sea sponge. It took 11 years for the sequel to come along. In 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, we saw SpongeBob teaming up with his nemesis Plankton to defeat some pirates who stole the secret Krabby patty formula. The movie was well received and we don’t have to wait for too long before seeing SpongeBob on the big screen again. The third movie, The SpongeBob Movie: It’s a Wonderful Sponge, starring Awkwafina, will hit the big screens in 2020.
Wonder Park (2019)
Bringing us back to the innocence of our childhood is Nickelodeon’s recent movie, Wonder Park. The movie brings to life a theme park conjured up from the wild imagination of a little girl named Julie. Starring the voices of Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, Matthew Broderick and Ken Jeong, we are brought on a crazy ride into a theme park that could only exist in our dreams. The movie isn’t just about entertainment, but has a lesson as well. And that is to never lose our sense of wonder, no matter what.
What’s Upcoming for Nickelodeon?
Apart from a new SpongeBob movie next year, Nickelodeon has another familiar character waiting for us this year- Dora the Explorer. This live-action movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold will see Dora and her new friends thrust into the deep jungle to save her parents and solve the mystery behind the lost city of gold. The movie stars Isabela Moner, Benicio Del Toro and Eva Longoria.
