| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John A. Davis |
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| Music by | John Debney |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million[2] |
| Box office | $103 million |
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies, O Entertainment and DNA Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by John A. Davis and written by Davis, Steve Oedekerk, David N. Weiss, and J. David Stern based on a story conceived by Davis and Oedekerk. Its voice cast includes Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Rob Paulsen, and Jeffrey Garcia. The film follows the title character, a schoolboy with super-genius intelligence, who must save all of the parents of his hometown from a race of egg-like aliens known as the Yolkians.
The idea for Jimmy Neutron was first conceived by Davis in the 1980s, in which he wrote a script for a short film titled Runaway Rocketboy and starring a prototype character for Jimmy named Johnny Quasar. After revisiting the abandoned script several years later, Davis decided to retool it as a computer-animated short and potential TV series. A 40-second demo was animated using LightWave 3D and gained popularity at the 1995 SIGGRAPH convention, garnering the attention of Oedekerk and leading DNA Productions to develop an extended TV pilot. After a successful pitch to Nickelodeon, a 13-minute episode was produced, and Nickelodeon, impressed with both the character and the 3D technology, raised the possibility of making both a TV series and a full-length feature film. Davis suggested that the film be made first, so that the production team could create the assets on a higher budget and reuse them in the TV series. Production officially began in early 2000 and was completed in roughly 24 months, with the studio considerably raising its staff count and expanding its studio space. Jimmy Neutron was the first computer animated film to be created entirely with off-the-shelf animation software, including LightWave and project:messiah.
Backed by a strong pre-release campaign, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was released on December 21, 2001,[1] and was a box office success, grossing $103 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. It earned generally positive reviews for its characters, humor, vocal performances, and sense of charm, fun, and wit. It was nominated for the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2001, ultimately losing to Shrek. It was the only animated Nickelodeon film to be nominated in that category for nearly a decade until Rango (2011) was nominated and won.
Due to its success, the film was continued into an animated television series called The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, which premiered on July 20, 2002, and ended on November 25, 2006. Four years later, a spin-off series called Planet Sheen was produced, focusing on Jimmy's friend Sheen Estevez. This series premiered on October 2, 2010 (alongside T.U.F.F. Puppy), and ended on February 15, 2013.
A simulator ride based on the film called Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast was set to take place after the events of the film and featured guest appearances by other Nicktoons characters. It opened at Universal Studios Florida on April 11, 2003, and closed on August 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius". RottenTomatoes.com. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
- ^ "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 6, 2010.