From Ice Cream Mountain to a fantastic voyage to retrieve a watermelon seed, “Rugrats” has taken us on funny, bold, and often moving adventures for over 30 years. Though its original audience is all grown up, the franchise continues to find new viewers through streaming, letting the young at heart look at life through the imaginative eyes of children.
Now, Tommy Pickles and his friends are reportedly back in a new feature—its first in more than 20 years—that will look different than any other previous “Rugrats” project. Here’s the inside scoop about the upcoming “Rugrats” movie.
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Tommy, Chuckie Finster, twins Phil and Lil DeVille, and the rest of the titular “Rugrats” are some of TV’s most beloved and influential characters—especially for ’90s kids. Created in 1991 by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain, the Nickelodeon animated series follows the group of toddlers in their day-to-day lives, seen through their eyes. Their adventures throughout the show’s nine-season run carried over into TV films, video games, and three theatrical features: 1998’s “The Rugrats Movie,” 2000’s “Rugrats in Paris,” and 2003’s “Rugrats Go Wild” (which was a crossover film with Nickelodeon’s “The Wild Thornberrys” characters).
After the original show ended, “Rugrats” continued to live on thanks to its spinoff animated series “All Grown Up!,” which followed the characters as teenagers. The spinoff aired from 2003–2008, and since then, the franchise has been itching for a comeback.
“Rugrats” fans were hopeful in 2021 when Paramount+ rebooted the series with many of the voice actors from the original series reprising their roles, including E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica Pickles), Cree Summer (Susie Carmichael), Kath Soucie (Lil and Phil), and Tara Strong (Dil Pickles).
However, in 2024, Paramount+ pulled the series from its library, leaving the status of “Rugrats” unknown. But it turns out the studio has bigger plans for its small stars—with a new “Rugrats” officially now in the works.
This month, Deadline reported that Paramount is developing a live-action/CGI “Rugrats” film, the first of its kind for the long-running franchise. According to Variety, Tommy and his fellow toddlers will be animated but set in the real world, similar to 2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog.” It’s unclear whether any of the parents or other adults who appear in the series will be played by onscreen actors (but it seems likely); and at this time, Paramount hasn’t announced which characters will appear in the movie.
“Pitch Perfect” filmmaker and Tony-nominated director (“Avenue Q”) Jason Moore is on board to direct the feature, with “Saturday Night Live” cast member Mikey Day scripting alongside “SNL” head writer Streeter Seidell.
In addition to Paramount, Klasky, Csupó, and Karen Rosenfelt are producing the new project.
Moore Photo Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
The “Rugrats” movie is still early in its development and therefore isn’t currently casting.
However, while you wait for potential opportunities, you can find audition tips from some of the industry’s best feature animation casting directors at Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and other major studios. Or for those looking to boost their résumés, head over to our roundup of voiceover casting calls to find a gig today. If you’re looking for a live-action gig, bookmark our main casting page for even more opportunities.
For more audition advice, check out these guides:
- How to Get Cast on a Nickelodeon Series
- How to Become a Cartoon Voice Actor
- How to Become a Voice Actor
And don’t forget to keep checking back here for more updates on the “Rugrats” movie!