NickALive!: 12/20/23

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

How to Stream 'South Park (Not Suitable For Children)' For FREE on Paramount+

Stream South Park (Not Suitable For Children) now on Paramount+. Try 1 month FREE with promo code BUTTERS! Offer ends 1/20. Redeem today at ParamountPlus.com

PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES

SOUTH PARK (NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN)

NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM

From MTV Entertainment Studios

December 20, 2023 – Paramount+ today announced that the service’s next South Park exclusive event SOUTH PARK (NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN) is now available to stream in the U.S. and Canada. The special will be available on the service internationally on December 21 in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy on December 23, with other international markets to follow. SOUTH PARK (NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN) joins the service’s first five exclusive events – SOUTH PARK: POST COVID, SOUTH PARK: POST COVID: THE RETURN OF COVID, SOUTH PARK THE STREAMING WARS, SOUTH PARK THE STREAMING WARS PART 2, and the recently released SOUTH PARK: JOINING THE PANDERVERSE, which broke records on social platforms as the most engaging, most watched and most talked about event to date (source: Domo, Talkwalker).

Stream it now on Paramount+. Try 1 month FREE with promo code BUTTERS! Offer ends 1/20. Redeem the offer today at ParamountPlus.com.

In SOUTH PARK (NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN), after it’s discovered that a teacher at South Park Elementary has an OnlyFans page, Randy is compelled to take a closer look at the seedy underbelly of the world of on-line influencers.

In 2022, South Park the series celebrated the 25th anniversary of its August 13, 1997 debut on Comedy Central. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny were first seen in the animated short “The Spirit of Christmas,” and from there were launched into television history. Co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are executive producers, along with Anne Garefino and Frank C. Agnone II. Eric Stough, Adrien Beard, Bruce Howell and Vernon Chatman are producers. Christopher Brion is the Creative Director of South Park Digital Studios. South Park’s website is SouthPark.cc.com.

Building on MTV Entertainment Studios’ expansive deal with co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, South Park has been renewed on Comedy Central through 2027, taking cable’s longest-running scripted series through an unprecedented 30th season.

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and A Mountain of Entertainment™. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME® content, including scripted hits, critically acclaimed nonfiction projects, SHOWTIME SPORTS® (including industry-leading SHOWTIME BOXING®) and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more, plus streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks is a global network of media assets that reaches over one billion people in more than 180 countries featuring some of the most iconic brands in entertainment including SHOWTIME, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Network among others – and, its Studios arm which produces 120+ series annually, including some of today’s biggest hits such as Yellowstone, Yellowjackets, Emily in Paris, 1883, 1923, George & Tammy, South Park, Tulsa King, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few.

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Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: THQ Nordic Unveils 'South Park: Snow Day!' Trailer!

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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for December 20, 2023 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for December 20, 2023 | Nickelodeon

Stream the classic and the all new CG-animated Rugrats series on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.

Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: Paramount+ Renews 'Rugrats' For Season 3!

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Paramount Media Networks Announces a Festive Flurry of Programming to Wrap Up 2024 and Jumpstart the New Year!

Paramount Media Networks announces a festive flurry of programming to wrap up 2024 and jumpstart the new year!

A full week of Yellowstone as well as marathons of The Office, Seinfeld, South Park as well as beloved seasonal films and holiday specials across MTV, CMT, Comedy Central, Paramount Network and Smithsonian Channel

Paramount Media Networks today announced a festive and fun programming slate for the holidays beginning December 20th, 2023 and is scheduled to air across Paramount Media Networks (MTV, CMT, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel and TV Land). Audiences can get into the holiday spirit with holiday films from Love Actually to Scrooged as well as marathons of beloved series such as The Office, Seinfeld, South Park, and The Daily Show. Viewers can also catch Yellowstone - TV's #1 show - during the week-long Yellowstone marathon. More details on this season's programming schedule below:

For Nickelodeon's holiday programming guide, click here!

MTV:

MTV's Fa-La-F***ing-La Movie Marathon

· Sunday, 12/24 (Christmas Eve)

· 24-hour movie marathon featuring the following Christmas titles:

· Bad Santa - Sun 12/24, 10:00AM ET/PT

· Bad Santa 2 - Sun 12/24, 12:00PM ET/PT

· Scrooged - Sun 12/24, 2:00PM ET/PT

COMEDY CENTRAL:

Holiday Programming - Hosted by Andrew Catalon CBS Sports/NFL play-by-play announcer

Marathons of beloved series:

· The Office, Seinfeld, Parks & Recreation, South Park, Futurama, The Cleveland Show, and The Daily Show and more. Highlights:

· Wed 12/20 - Friday 12/22: "Festivus" Seinfeld marathon

· Sun 12/24: "Silent Dwight" The Office marathon on Christmas Eve

· A lineup of hit movies: Daddy's Home, Dodgeball, The Other Guys, and many more.

· Side-splitting stand-up performances: Jeff Dunham, Comedy Central Roasts

· Festive movie specials: Reno 911: It's a Wonderful Heist, Love Actually and Bad Santa.

PARAMOUNT NETWORK:

Movie Star Spectacular

· Paramount's annual star-studded all-day movie stunt includes following titles:

· The Dark Knight Rises - Wed, 12/20, 4:00PM ET/PT

· White House Down - Wed, 12/20, 1:00PM ET/PT

· Ocean's Eleven franchise - Thurs 12/21, 10:30AM ET/PT

· Lord of the Rings Franchise - Fri 12/22, 4:00PM ET/PT

· Indiana Jones franchise - Sun 12/24, 2:30PM ET/PT

· Yellowstone Holiday Marathon

· Mon 12/25 - Sun 12/31: Full series Yellowstone marathon

SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL:

Smithsonian Channel's holiday extravaganza!

· Explore the Unseen With Exclusive Premieres

· Aerial Italy - Wed 12/20, 8:00PM ET/PT

· Ireland's Wild Islands - Wed 12/20, 9:00PM ET/PT

· Last 747 - Sun, 12/24, 8:00PM ET/PT

· On The Fly - Sun, 12/24, 9:00PM ET/PT

· Enchanting Transport Adventures

· Mighty Ships - Wed, 12/20, 8:00AM ET/PT

· Mighty Trains - Sat, 12/23, 12:00AM ET/PT

· Aerial Explorations: Soar to New Heights

· Aerial New Zealand - Wed, 12/20, 9:00AM ET/PT

· Aerial Ireland - Wed, 12/20, 10:00AM ET/PT

· Aerial Britain - Wed, 12/20, 11:00AM ET/PT

· Aerial America - Sat, 12/23, 6:00AM ET/PT

· Natural Wonders: Discover the Marvels of the World

· Epic Yellowstone - Wed, 12/27, 6:00AM ET/PT

· David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef - Fri 12/29, 6:00AM ET/PT

· Building Triumphs: Witness Engineering Wonders

· Inside the Christmas Factory - Fri 12/22, 1:00AM ET/PT

TV LAND:

"Merrython" Encore

· Sun 12/24- Mon 12/25 - Christmas themed episodes of all TV Land's sitcoms to air: Golden Girls, Mike & Molly, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men, and The New Adventures of Old Christine

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Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: The Brawl Begins! 'Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2' Out Now on Consoles & PC!

Originally published: December 20, 2023.

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Q&A: ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ Creators Kyle Stegina & Josh Lehrman Are Ready to Play on Nickelodeon

The age-old schoolyard technique for settling any serious kid question gets an imaginative, animated interpretation in Rock Paper Scissors — the new Nickelodeon animated series created by Robot Chicken alums Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman. Already gaining fans on YouTube and due to make their television debut on February 12, the show is the first to be picked up from Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program.

The series follows big-hearted Rock, affectatious intellectual Paper and overly confident Scissors — voiced by Ron Funches (Trolls, Trolls Band Together), Thomas Lennon (Zoey 102, 17 Again, Reno 911!) and Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko’s Modern Life, Reno 911!), respectively — a trio of best friends and roommates who lovingly compete over everything in hilarious but mostly wildly absurd ways. In the original short, which will air exclusively this Christmas Day (December 25) during the Nickelodeon NFL Nickmas Game, they go from fighting over what to watch on TV to being the stars of a successful Broadway musical.

Produced by Nickelodeon Animation, the original Rock Paper Scissors short and series are created, written and executive produced by Stegina and Lehrman, with Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) and Bob Boyle (The Fairly OddParents) serving as executive producers on the series. Development is overseen by Nickelodeon Animation’s Kari Kim, VP Animation Development, and Daniel Wineman, VP Original Animation Development. The series is overseen by executive in charge Jason Oliveri.

The show’s creators recently took a quick recess break to answer a few questions about their energetic new comedy toon for Animation Magazine!

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for the show?

Josh Lehrman: Most of our projects come from long brainstorming sessions where Kyle and I ask each other, “What are we going through in our lives?” or “What themes do we want to explore?” This idea came to me in the shower.

Kyle Stegina: Josh came to my apartment and said, “How about a show starring Rock, Paper and Scissors. They’re roommates, and they’re competitive over everything?” It just made me laugh. It’s such a simple and fun premise that anyone can get on board with and, truthfully, the ideas you can pitch in one breath and visualize immediately are often the best ideas.

Josh: Or the dumbest ideas.

Kyle: And this show is a mix of both — in the best way.

What do you love about these characters and what do you think makes the show stand out?

Kyle: I really love Rock, Paper and Scissors’ unique friendship: equal parts love and bickering. One minute they’ll be knitting a three-person friendship blanket or doing synchronized dressage, and the next minute they’ll be fighting and yelling over each other. We think that balance is a pretty realistic portrayal of friendship that you don’t see a lot of in kids’ TV.

Josh: And I think one of the things that makes the show stand out is the unpredictability of the storytelling. Because this show isn’t bound by many rules, we can really go anywhere and do anything.

Kyle: Yeah, we have an episode that takes place over the course of 50 years and another episode that takes place entirely in Scissors’ head.

Josh: I’ll add, too, that I love when we take a really silly idea and build it to a surprisingly emotional moment at the end. We do it sparingly, and I won’t give away any episodes, but I think viewers will be moved by some episodes this season.

How did you put the terrific voice cast together?

Josh: Oh man, we got so lucky with the cast.

Kyle: Yeah, we essentially got our first choice for everybody.

Josh: I remember, in the early stages of development, Nickelodeon asked us who we wanted for the trio. And in the car ride back to one of our places, we pitched Ron Funches for Rock and Thomas Lennon for Paper. Scissors took us a little more time to figure out because we needed to find someone who could be a jerk and be vulnerable, but then we thought of Carlos Alazraqui because we worked with him on an episode of a Comedy Central show we wrote, and he really elevated the role.

Kyle: Also, he was Rocko.

Josh: That, too. Kyle and I were big Rocko’s Modern Life fans when we were kids.

Kyle: And all three of them said yes. The talent we’ve gotten on this show is still surprising to us — even for the recurring roles.

Josh: Yeah, Melissa Villaseñor is wonderful as Pencil, and there was no one other than Eddie Pepitone for Lou.

Kyle: We wrote the part for him.

Josh: We didn’t tell him that, though, because we didn’t want it to come out wrong.

Kyle: Like, “Hey Eddie, we wrote this miserable, talking garbage can with only you in mind!”

Can you describe the visual style and designs of the show?

Kyle: Our show uses semi-photorealistic backgrounds with 2D cartoony characters, and it’s such an inviting contrast that’s just fun to watch.

Josh: And by the way, most of the credit for the visual style goes to Amanda Li and Paul Watling. They worked on the pilot presentation with us when this show was in development and crafted the initial look. Then two more amazing artists, Bob Boyle and John Won, came on and perfected the style when we started the series.

Kyle: Also, we were very ambitious in series with how many places our characters go, and the background designers worked tirelessly to deliver on everything.

Josh: Again, I won’t give away any episodes, but there are several where Kyle and I saw the backgrounds in a design meeting, and they were so beautiful we were like, “What is this doing in our show? This belongs in a museum!”

The Intergalactic Short "TV Time" airs December 25 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET ahead of the series premiere of Rock Paper Scissors on Nickelodeon on Monday, February 12 at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will continue to air weekdays at 5:30 p.m., with international roll-out later in the month.

Shorts and clips starring the titular trio and their friends are now available on the Nicktoons YouTube channel, as well as full episodes.

Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favourites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: Nickelodeon to Premiere 'Rock Paper Scissors' on February 12!

Originally published: December 20, 2023.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Google News, Tumblr, via RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon and Rock, Paper, Scissors News and Highlights!

Baby Shark's Big Movie | Best Lannie Moments | Paramount+

Baby Shark's Big Movie | Best Lannie Moments | Paramount+

Lannie the lantern shark has zero chill and that makes her the most relatable fish in the sea. In Baby Shark's Big Movie, Lannie and Baby Shark go from reluctant friends to best buds.

Make sure to stream Baby Shark's brand new movie, Baby Shark's Big Movie, on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com

Stream your favorite Nick Jr. shows on Paramount+ and Noggin! Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: Baby Shark to Make a Splash in 'Must-Sea' New Production 'Baby Shark's Big Broadwave Tour!', Making Waves Across North America in 2024!

#BabyShark #ChloeFineman #Nickelodeon #ParamountPlus

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Google News, Tumblr, via RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon Preschool, Nick Jr. and Baby Shark's Big Show! News and Highlights!

November & December 2023 on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Channels in Indonesia

Below are Nickelodeon Asia's November and December (Desember) 2023 programming highlights for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels in Indonesia! Post in Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia):

#WhatsOnNickelodeon: BRAND NEW SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS | IndiHome TV

Saksikan berbagai tayangan tayangan anak unggulan di Channel Nickelodeon pada layanan IndiHome TV

#BukaSemuaPeluang

#WhatsOnNickJr: Paw Patrol New Episodes! | IndiHome TV

Saksikan berbagai tayangan tayangan anak unggulan di Channel NickJR pada layanan IndiHome TV

#AktivitasTanpaBatas #InternetnyaIndonesia #IndiHome #IndiHomeTV

#WhatsOnNickJr: Deer Squad | IndiHome TV

Saksikan berbagai tayangan tayangan anak unggulan di Channel NickJR pada layanan IndiHome TV

#AktivitasTanpaBatas #InternetnyaIndonesia #IndiHome #IndiHomeTV

#WhatsOnNickelodeon: Alvinnn The Chipmunks | IndiHome TV

Saksikan berbagai tayangan tayangan anak unggulan di Channel Nickelodeon pada layanan IndiHome TV

#BukaSemuaPeluang

More Nick: Work Set to Start on Paramount Theme Park Development in Bali!

Originally published: November 04, 2023.

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Nickelodeon to Premiere New 'Tyler Perry's Young Dylan', 'NFL Slimetime' and 'That Girl Lay Lay' Holiday Specials on Dec. 20

Unwrap brand holiday specials of Tyler Perry's Young Dylan, NFL Slimetime and That Girl Lay Lay, premiering Wednesday, December 20 from 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT), only on Nickelodeon! Check out the promos below!

In the brand new Tyler Perry's Young Dylan holiday episode "A Very Delivery Van Christmas" at 7, Dylan (Dylan Gilmer) and Charlie’s (Hero Hunter) holiday spirit comes to a halt when they are trapped in a delivery van on Christmas eve. (#423)

Then in NFL Slimetime Week 16 at 7:30, join hosts Nate Burleson and Young Dylan to find out who’s taking home the slimiest trophy in sports, the NVP. Then watch as the end zones become the “slime zones” and see NFL highlights, interviews, and game picks as you've never seen them before! (#316)

Later at 8:00, That Girl Lay Lay is back in a brand new Holiday special! In "All I Want For Christmas Is Lay Lay," after Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green) loses the Christmas spirit and cancels the Holiday pageant, the Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future - embodied by Lay Lay (Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High) - visit to remind her of the true meaning of Christmas. (#221)

Check out Nickelodeon's holiday programming guide here!

Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: Nickelodeon and CBS Sports Team Up With The NFL For The 2023 Nickelodeon NFL Nickmas Game!

Originally published: December 15, 2023.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Google News, Tumblr, via RSS and more for the latest Holidays on Nickelodeon, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan and NFL Slimetime News and Highlights!

Season 3? The Future Of Star Trek: Prodigy - Exclusive Dan & Kevin Hageman Interview | TrekCulture

Season 3? The Future Of Star Trek: Prodigy - Exclusive Dan & Kevin Hageman Interview | TrekCulture

Seán & Ellie chat to the Hageman Bros. about a potential third season, fan reaction to the cancellation, working with Kate Mulgrew and they even manage to get a Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 tease!

Listen to The TrekCulture Podcast - Tuesdays on;

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1wrqDG8mOTlshuZCYanhUV?si=5d782898e1254754&nd=1&dlsi=92b074c022dd458f

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/trekculture/id1542785135

Acast: https://play.acast.com/s/trekculture/

For more awesome content: http://whatculture.com/topic/star-trek

Follow TrekCulture on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrekCulture

Follow the crew on Instagram: https://instagram.com/TrekCultureYT

Fire up Netflix on Christmas day and watch all of Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, and prepare for Season 2's eventual release as part of the 2024 TV schedule. I know I'll definitely be rewatching some of my favorite installments in between opening presents and trying to contain my excitement for the new season.

Stream the Star Trek Universe on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: 'Star Trek: Prodigy' Warp Speeds Onto Netflix!

#StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #SAVEDStarTrekProdigy

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PODCAST: Tawny Newsome Interview on 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' and 'Starfleet Academy' | TrekMovie

PODCAST: Tawny Newsome Interview on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Starfleet Academy | TrekMovie

[Tawny Newsome interview begins at 22:35]

Anthony and Laurie discuss the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery panel at CCXP, the latest on Nicholas Meyer’s Khan audio drama, Michelle Hurd’s interest in a Worf/Raffi spin-off, Chris Pine’s lack of Star Trek 4 news, and some new Trek merch.

They play Laurie’s interview with Tawny Newsome, who talks about Lower Decks season 5, being in the writers room of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, her love of Deep Space Nine, and more.

They wrap up with a fun video from Red Letter Media featuring the Enterprise-D and the announcement of TREKTalks 3, a day of streamed Star Trek panels for the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Trek Talks 3 streams LIVE January 13, 2024 beginning at 9:45am PT on YouTube. For more information, visit https://www.trektalks.net.

Stream the Star Trek Universe on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: 'Star Trek: Prodigy' Warp Speeds Onto Netflix!

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Team Leaned Into Teen-Inspired Animation Style, Talk Upcoming Sequel

Work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem sequel is happening.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 14: (L-R) Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Director Jeff Rowe attend 2023-2024 Variety Artisan Screening Series Presents "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" at The Sherry Lansing Theatre on December 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Variety via Getty Images)

Producer, writer and actor Seth Rogen provided the update at Variety’s Artisans screening series. Joined by co-writer and producer Evan Goldberg and director Jeff Rowe, Rogen recalled the filmmaking process, describing it as “one of the shortest times from inception to completion.” Rogen recalled showing the film for the first time to Ramsey Ann Naito, president of animation at Nickelodeon and Animation.

“We were so nervous and scared that we were going to show them a scene from the movie and they would be like ‘What? No.’ They loved it, and they were so supportive,” he said. “They didn’t discourage us from making it insane. They probably tried to make us cut one or two milking jokes, but we said no.”

When asked about having to cut scenes from the original and if there were any they wished they could have kept in, Rowe teased, “We’re going to use them in the sequel.” Rogen cryptically offered, “There is definitely one, and it’s a 100% already being written into the second.”

Vying for a slot in the Oscars Best Animated Feature race, this fresh take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reinvigorates the franchise with hand-drawn animation meant to reflect teen sketches. It follows four mutant turtle brothers — Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo — as they defeat an army of evil mutants and become heroes in the Big Apple.

Their approach was to lean into the teenage aspect of the storytelling as they felt that had never really been tackled before. “Jeff came on and really took that idea and translated it into the look of the movie, this teenage drive and raw emotionality and this yearning and desire that was the cornerstone of the story,” said Rogen.

Further leaning into the teen story was the decision to make April a teenager. Rowe explained it was important to make her one of them. Voiced by Ayo Edebiri, the idea was that she needed to be an outcast and that would make her want to hang out with the foursome. Said Rowe, “We tried to make her as much a real New York teenager as possible. Ayo is incredible, and Ayo is a great writer. The kids would improv and go off the rails and gently nudge it back.”

Rogen also elaborated on the idea of having all the voice actors in the same room rather than recording isolated vocals which is the norm in voiceover acting. “All of the comedy we have made is built on playing off of other people and playing off of their rhythms and improvisational style.” Rogen continued, “Naturalism was something that we really thought would be interesting.”

The film’s mid-credit scene shows the foursome at prom. A camera zooms out and reveals they’re being watched by villain Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph). Not only does she have a housefly in a glass jar — we can assume it’s the former mutant Superfly — but she declares, “Bring me the Shredder.” Cut to the Manhattan skyline by night and the looming silhouette of Splinter and the Turtles’ most iconic enemy, The Shredder.

Shredder in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem'

Rowe explained, “Shredder is the coolest villain in the TMNT lore. He is this world’s Joker, and we had considered using him for the first film, but it didn’t work for a lot of story reasons. Ultimately, it felt good to not lean into him as a character, but now we have a chance to, and we’ll see how that goes.”

As lifelong fans of the franchise, Shredder was something that had always talked about.

With the mid-credit scene specifically, he said, “It implies a sequel. I’m not one to count their eggs before they hatch. There was a moment where, ‘Will you let us do more of this? We’re going to look stupid if we do this and that’s it.’ And so that was also part of the conversation. Is it silly to imply you’re going to do more if you are not? Ultimately, the idea of including him was always something we wanted to do. Also, if they didn’t let us do it, at least we got to do one shot of him.”

Rogen and Goldberg shared that their love for the Turtles stemmed from watching the cartoon as young boys. Said Rogen, “We took karate together at the Jewish Community Center. We were obsessed with Ninja Turtles, and I was so into Michelangelo that my dad bought me nunchucks. I would f--k around with it. One time, I thought I was really good and I got in front of Evan, and there was a giant lighting fixture in my living room, and I shattered it everywhere.”

As for the nod to the 1986 classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there was a lot of discussion about what that film would be. “We just love this image of them watching from afar and having this longing and this yearning,” Rogen said. They knew it had to be a high school movie.

Among the films were The Breakfast Club, House Party and even Stephen King’s Carrie, but it was Ferris Bueller that sat perfectly. Said Rogen, “It’s one of our favorite films of all time. It’s from around the same era as the Ninja Turtles. As lovers of high school films, it’s nice to nod to the people who did it, and John Hughes for sure was someone that we were referencing a lot as we were writing the movie.”

Watch the video on Variety.com.

Stream the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, including Mutant Mayhem on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

Stream Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie on Netflix!

Subscribe to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles OFFICIAL YouTube channel - the ultimate home for all things TMNT! Here you’ll find Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello’s best moments from all your favorite TMNT series. Join the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their fight against evil, and be the first to get notified of exclusive original content you won’t find anywhere else! https://at.nick.com/TMNTSubscribe

More Nick: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Movie Sequel and Paramount+ Series in the Works!

H/T: @RiseFallNickBck.

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Shredder Will Be ‘100 Times Scarier Than Superfly’ In 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' Sequel

If you’re an adolescent humanoid arachnid martial artist – a hero in a half shell, some kind of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle – then few names will strike fear into your heart like Shredder. The leader of the Foot Clan is the biggest bad in the Ninja Turtles world – the Joker to their Batman, if you will. Which is why, when making this summer’s animated favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, director Jeff Rowe ultimately decided not to pitch his four young heroes against Shredder immediately. “Shredder used to be the main villain before we pivoted away from that,” he told Empire, reasoning: “They saved Joker for The Dark Knight.”

Just like the end of Batman Begins promised that Mr. J was, indeed, on his way, Mutant Mayhem ended on an almighty Shredder tease. While Ice Cube’s mutant crime boss Superfly was a formidable opponent for the Turtles to face on their first outing, Rowe promises much bigger things for the next film. “The one thing I can say without spoiling anything is, [Shredder] needs to be 100 times scarier than Superfly – who is a credible villain, he’s dangerous, he’s strong, he seems like he could mess the Turtles up,” the director explains. “Shredder needs to be that, just significantly more.”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Given the exuberant youthfulness of the Turtles in Rowe’s film – which cast real-life teenagers Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Sharon Brown Jr. and Micah Abbey as the titular heroes – the sheer heft of Shredder as a villain poses a major question: what if Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello actually can’t defeat him? “It’ll be really interesting to see these fun-loving characters go up against something that maybe they can’t stop,” teases Rowe. Better get practising with those nunchucks, stat.

Read Empire’s full Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Spoiler Special interview with Jeff Rowe in the Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes issue, which will also talk about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, on sale Thursday 21 December. Pre-order a copy online here. Mutant Mayhem is out now on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital.

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More Nick: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Movie Sequel and Paramount+ Series in the Works!

Netflix's 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Showrunner Opens Up About Making Series Without Original Creators

“My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy s---! Do I really want to do this?'" Albert Kim reveals in his first interview about the live-action adaptation.

Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka in season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender | ROBERT FALCONER/NETFLIX

When Albert Kim first got the call from Netflix to work on the live-action series adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, his response was close to “Hell yeah!” The writer from Pantheon and executive producer from Sleepy Hollow had become a fan of the original Nickelodeon cartoon, which is considered sacred territory by many. He watched initially thinking he would need to explain the concepts to his daughter, but then became completely consumed with the saga himself. “The storytelling alone was just so epic and much beyond the audience it was targeted for,” he told Entertainment Weekly in December, marking his first interview on the new drama.

Then, to borrow a turn of phrase from the animated show, everything changed when… Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the original creators of Avatar, departed the Netflix project after being involved for two years. Their public statements in 2020 came as a blow to the fandom. DiMartino mentioned he “couldn't control the creative direction of the series,” and while he acknowledged “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good,” it ultimately wouldn’t be the show he or Konietzko set out to make.

While all parties appeared to part ways on good terms — Konietzko and DiMartino are now working on multiple other animated Avatar projects through Avatar Studios — Kim admits it “absolutely” felt daunting to continue the Netflix adaptation as showrunner without the original creators. “You'd have to be an idiot not to be intimidated a little bit,” he says. “My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy s---! Do I really want to do this? Is there a way to improve upon the original?’ Whenever you tackle something that's already beloved by millions of fans, you have to ask yourself those questions.”

His answer, if it’s not already obvious, was yes, he did still want to do this — for all the reasons he fell in love with the original in the first place. Fantasy TV epics like Game of Thrones and The Witcher are rooted in Western European folklore, but Avatar, Kim points out, is rooted in Asian culture. “That was incredibly rare. It still is,” he says. “A live-action version meant setting new benchmarks for representation by featuring an all Asian and Indigenous cast.”

Not to mention it's been more than 15 years since the original went off the air, though it spawned sequel series The Legend of Korra, best-selling comic books, video games, and the like. "That was really appealing to me, being able to bring this story to a new generation," Kim adds.

In a medieval-influenced world full of benders, those with the ability to manipulate one of the natural elements, Aang (Gordon Cormier) is the Avatar, a reincarnated being who can harness all four in order to maintain balance in the world. But this gentle and playful soul, who's been mysteriously missing for years, has finally emerged at a time when Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) is deep into the Fire Nation's war for domination. While being hunted by Ozai’s son, Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu), Aang must lean on his new friends, waterbender Katara (Kiawentiio) and her brother Sokka (Ian Ousley) of the Southern Water Tribe, in the hopes of honing his powers and restoring peace to the world.

Konietzko and DiMartino’s presence isn’t completely absent from the live-action series. Traces of them still exist. Kim sat down with the duo in the early days before their departure to pick their brains. He recalls, “It ran the range of really nerdy little things that no one except for diehard fans might wonder about — questions about Katara’s mom or Aang’s parentage — to bigger picture stuff about how to translate what made the original so special into a live-action version." At the same time, he stresses, "This is Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it is our version of Avatar: The Last Airbender."

The animated original told a story that played out over 20 challenge-of-the-week-style episodes in its first season before transitioning to a more serialized approach in its second and third seasons. The live-action Avatar will instead begin to adapt the main events with an eight-episode hourlong drama format for the initial run. As such, Kim explains, some events will have a strict one-to-one adaptation, while others will be remixed.

For one, "We don't start the show the way the animated series starts," Kim says. "That was a conscious decision to show people this is not the animated series." For another, "We had to sometimes unravel storylines and remix them in a new way to make sense for a serialized drama," he adds. "So I'm very curious to see what'll happen in terms of reaction to that."

In the end, the team's goal was to remain true to the original spirit of the animated series, while delivering a massive, sweeping fantasy epic. "All of our writers are also fans of the original, so they drew upon their own personal experiences and the things that they love the best," Kim says. "We made sure to include all those in the show."

Avatar: The Last Airbender will premiere Thursday, Feb. 22, on Netflix.

Stream Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Paramount+ and Netflix! Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com

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More Nick: Three Animated ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Movies In Works From Paramount, Nickelodeon; Lauren Montgomery To Direct The First!

H/T: @DiscussingFilm; special thanks to @KeydalisColo for the news!

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