More importantly, though, the network has confirmed that 19 of the show's original voice actors will return for the project, including the voices of Helga (Francesca Smith), Phoebe (Anndi McAfee), Harold (Justin Shenkarow), Rhonda (Olivia Hack), Olga (Nika Futterman), Mr. Simmons (Dan Butler, Frasier), Grandpa Phil (Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons), Grandma Gertrude (Tress MacNeille, Rugrats), Stella (Antoinette Stella), Eduardo (Carlos Alazraqui, Rocko's Modern Life), Ernie (Dom Irrera), Big Bob Pataki (Maurice LaMarche, Futurama), Miriam (Kath Soucie, Rugrats, The Real Ghostbusters), Big Patty (Danielle Judovits), Coach Wittenberg (James Belushi, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters), the Stoop Kid (Danny Cooksey), and Miles, who's voiced by Bartlett himself.
Lane Toran and Jamil Smith, who voiced Arnold and Gerald, will return as well. They won't be voicing their original characters, though, but lending their voices to other characters while Mad Men's Mason Vale Cotton and Game Shakers' Benjamin "L'il P-Nut" Flores Jr. take over Arnold and Gerald, respectively. New, younger actors, some of who already star on other Nickelodeon properties, will also voice other characters like Eugene, Stinky, and Sid.
The movie's villain, Lasombra, will be voiced by Alfred Molina. Though the Spider-Man 2 actor is new to the Hey Arnold! universe, Lasombra isn't, with the river pirate and treasure hunter previously popping up on a pivotal episode called "The Journal," where he was voiced by Brian Doyle Murray (The Middle), the brother of Bill Murray (Ghostbusters).
Hey Arnold! ended its original run in 2004. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie will make its debut in 2017.
UPDATE: Below is Nickelodeon USA's official press release announcing the news, via Business Wire:
Nickelodeon Reveals Title of the Hey Arnold! TV Movie as Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie; Original Voice Actors Return
June 13, 2016 02:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon announced today that the upcoming TV movie titled Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie will feature 19 original voices from the beloved television series. The announcement comes in the midst of Nickelodeon's 25th anniversary celebration of original creator-driven animation. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie is written and executive produced by the series' original creator Craig Bartlett and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank. The two-hour TV movie will debut in 2017.
The voice actors reprising their famed roles include: Francesca Marie Smith (The Prince of Egypt) as Helga; Anndi McAfee (Tom and Jerry: The Movie) as Phoebe; Justin Shenkarow (Recess) as Harold; Olivia Hack (Family Guy) as Rhonda; Nika Futterman (The Boxtrolls) as Olga; Dan Butler (Frasier) as Mr. Simmons; Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) as Grandpa; Tress MacNeille (The Simpsons) as Grandma; Antoinette Stella (Melrose Place, writer) as Stella; Carlos Alazraqui (Happy Feet) as Eduardo; Dom Irrera (Back at the Barnyard) as Ernie; Maurice LaMarche (Futurama) as Bob Pataki; Kath Soucie (Rugrats) as Miriam; Danielle Judovits (Toy Story) as Big Patty; Danny Cooksey (The Lorax) as Stoop Kid; Jim Belushi (According to Jim) as Coach Wittenberg; and Craig Bartlett as Miles.
Additionally, Lane Toran (original voice of Arnold) and Jamil Smith (original voice of Gerald) will supplement the returning cast by lending their voices to several other roles.
"We're incredibly fortunate to work with these talented voice actors who brought to life one of the most celebrated cartoons in Nickelodeon's history," said Chris Viscardi, SVP, Content Development, Nickelodeon Franchise Properties. "The voice cast is an essential piece to the Hey Arnold! universe and we're excited for a new generation of fans to hear these characters in a new TV movie."
Original cast members will give new life to Helga, a complicated and cynical girl who puts up a mean front, but is full of extreme emotions; Phoebe, Helga's confidante and loyal best friend; Harold, a former bully with a tough exterior and soft interior; Rhonda, a fashionista who comes from a preppy and prestigious family; and Olga, Helga's beautiful, intelligent and friendly older sister; as well as the other colorful characters.
New voices in the Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie include: Mason Vale Cotton (Mad Men) as Arnold; Benjamin "L'il P-Nut" Flores, Jr. (Game Shakers) as Gerald; Gavin Lewis (Real Boy) as Eugene; Jet Jurgensmeyer (Bubble Guppies) as Stinky; Aiden Lewandowski (Comedy Bang! Bang!) as Sid; Laya Hayes (Santa Hunters) as Nadine; Nicolas Cantu (The Impossible Joy) as Curly; Wally Wingert (Sonic Boom) as Oskar; and Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels) as Pigeon Man.
Rounding out the cast, Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) voices resident villain, Lasombra, an infamous river pirate operating from a secret compound in the jungles of San Lorenzo.
The greenlight for an original Hey Arnold! TV movie was announced earlier this year. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie will feature a storyline that picks up from where the original series ended in 2004 and will resolve unanswered questions and plotlines--including Arnold finally getting answers about the whereabouts of his missing parents.
This August celebrates 25 years of original creator-driven animation for Nickelodeon, marking a significant milestone exemplifying decades of rich history and commitment to bringing fresh innovative content to kids and families around the world. Later in the year, Nickelodeon will open up a 190,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art complex to serve as the West Coast hub for the network, housing the ever-growing number of animated and live-action series, TV movies, and award shows and events seen globally.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
###
H/T: ToonZone Forums member MDawg. Additional source: Wikipedia.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon, Hey Arnold! and The Splat News and Highlights!
