The Nicktoons

The Nicktoons is a 2025 American 2D flash-animated superhero comedy film produced by Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies and Malach Entertainment as its first feature film, and based on the video game series Nicktoons Unite! published by THQ. It employs a novel technique of 2D flash animation set atop 3D computer animation. The film is directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger with producer Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Karen Malach. It features the voices of Tom Kenny, Tara Strong, Debi Derryberry, Josh Peck, Janice Kawaye, JoJo Siwa, and Richard Steven Horvitz. The film’s plot follows Nicktoons SpongeBob SquarePants, Timmy Turner, Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom, who enlist Jenny Wakeman and Aang to stop Zim and the army of the SIR Units, including GIR, from taking over Earth.

Originally intended as a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-esque live-action/animated crossover film in 2015, the film was never made despite its announcement. However in 2022, it was revealed that the film is now in production, but this time, it would be a 2D flash-animated feature, in which the characters would be entirely animated in Flash, while the rest would be computer-generated. The animation services were provided by Bardel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Imageworks, while visual effects were provided by Industrial Light & Magic.

The film was theatrically released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on February 14, 2025. It was a box office success, grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide, surpassing the 2019 remake of The Lion King to become the highest-grossing animated film, the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time (which also surpassed Disney's 1994 film The Lion King), and the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time (which also surpassed the 2020 film Sonic the Hedgehog). It received widespread critical acclaim for the visuals, animation, humor, characters, action scenes, and Holkenborg’s score. At the 98th Academy Awards, the film won Best Animated Feature, making it the first non-Disney/Pixar film to win since 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Cast

 * Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants
 * Tara Strong as Timmy Turner / Poof
 * Susanne Blakeslee as Wanda
 * Daran Norris as Cosmo / The Chief
 * Debi Derryberry as Jimmy Neutron
 * Josh Peck as Danny Fenton / Danny Phantom
 * Janice Kawaye as Jenny Wakeman / XJ-9
 * JoJo Siwa as Aang
 * Richard Steven Horvitz as Zim
 * Rosearik Rikki Simons as GIR

E.G. Daily voiced Rudy Tabootie, Candi Milo voiced Snap and Dr. Nora Wakeman, Alanna Ubach voiced Manny Rivera aka El Tigre, Grey DeLisle voiced Frida Suarez and Kitty Katswell, Amy Poehler voiced Bessie Higgenbottom, Dee Bradley Baker voiced Happy Walter Higgenbottom, Jerry Trainor voiced Dudley Puppy, Jeff Bennett voiced Keswick, Richard Steven Horvitz voiced Dag, Nick Bakay voiced Norb, Rob Paulsen voiced Carl Wheezer, Jeffrey Garcia voiced Sheen Estevez, Mark DeCarlo voiced Hugh Neutron, Bill Fagerbakke voiced Patrick Star, Rodger Bumpass voiced Squidward Tentacles, Clancy Brown voiced Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence voiced Sandy Cheeks and Cindy Vortex, Mr. Lawrence voiced Plankton, Chad Doreck voiced Brad Carbuckle, and Audrey Wasilewski voiced Tuck Carbuckle.

Development
In 2015, it was originally announced as a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-esque live-action/animated crossover film of the Nicktoons, with Jared Hess as the director, the script being written by Hess and his wife, Jerusha and was going to be produced by Mary Parent and Cale Boyter. But in reality, the film was not going to be made despite its announcement. However, in 2022, a newly-found joint venture animation studio, Malach Entertainment, revealed that the film with the working title The Nicktoons is now in production with a release date scheduled for Valentine’s Day 2025, but this time, it would be a 2D flash-animated theatrical feature, in which the characters would be entirely animated in flash animation, while the rest would be computer-generated. It was also revealed that Jared Hess would not be returning.

In September 2022, it was reported that Mike Mitchell would replace Jared Hess as a director, with Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Karen Malach producing the film, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger to "reimagine" the film as a superhero comedy that would present SpongeBob, Timmy, Jimmy, Danny, Jenny and Aang trying to stop Zim from taking over Earth.

Casting
In 2023, Tom Kenny, Tara Strong, Debi Derryberry, Janice Kawaye and Richard Steven Horvitz were revealed to be reprising their roles of SpongeBob SquarePants, Timmy Turner, Jimmy Neutron, Jenny Wakeman and Zim, while Josh Peck and JoJo Siwa signed on to voice Danny Phantom and Aang, respectively. Zach Tyler Eisen, the voice of Aang, expressed his disappointment at not being contacted about the decision to recast his role since he grew up as a 30-year old. Peck's casting as Danny marked a rare occasion in which the character has not been voiced by David Kaufman, who has played Danny Phantom since the show's debut in 2004.

Music
In February 2024, Tom Holkenborg, who previously worked on Sonic The Hedgehog, was hired to compose the score.

Marketing
Paramount released a teaser poster for the film, followed by a few character trailers, featuring SpongeBob, Timmy, Jimmy, Danny, Jenny and Aang respectively on June 6, 2024 on the Paramount Pictures YouTube channel. On November 14, 2024, the film's first official full trailer and a theatrical poster were released, followed by the final trailer on January 2, 2025.

Home media
The Nicktoons will be released on digital by Paramount Home Entertainment on April 22, 2025, with Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and DVD versions following on May 20.

Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% "Certified Fresh" based on 378 reviews, and an average rating of 9.28/10. The site's consensus reads, "With the visuals and animation being so astonishing and spectacular, The Nicktoons is amazingly action-packed and laugh-out-loud funny, and marks the return of 2D animation on the big screen again since Teen Titans Go!: To The Movies." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 74 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Box office
The Nicktoons grossed $873.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $986.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.859 billion against a production budget of $60 million, surpassing The Lion King (2019) to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, the highest-grossing film of 2025, the highest-grossing animated film of 2025, the highest-grossing traditionally animated film (which also surpassed Disney's 1994 film The Lion King), the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time (which also surpassed the 2020 film Sonic the Hedgehog), and the 5th-highest-grossing film of all time. The film also surpassed Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) to become Paramount Pictures' second highest-grossing film worldwide.