Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Indianapolis Indians to Host Nick Jr. Weekend featuring PAW Patrol Over August 17-18

Indianapolis, IN - The Indianapolis Indians has announced the PAWsome news that the Minor League Baseball team will host a Nick Jr. Weekend featuring PAW Patrol in August 2019! Below are the details for both days of the Indianapolis Indians' Nickelodeon Weekend!:


Nickelodeon Weekend featuring PAW Patrol

Saturday, August 17: Indianapolis Indians vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs (game starts at 7:05 PM)
Sunday, August 18: Indianapolis Indians vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs (game starts at 1:35 PM; gates open at noon)

On Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, the Indianapolis Indians host Nick Jr. Weekend featuring PAW Patrol! Four of PAW Patrol's bravest rescuers, Chase, Marshall, Skye and Rubble, will be greeting young fans and posing for pictures throughout the day at a photo op in PNC Plaza.

The characters will start meeting fans as soon as gates open at Noon. You'll be able find them near the center field lawn. They'll be meeting fans before and during the game and will be taking minimal breaks to ensure lines move as fast as possible. Every fan who wants to meet PAW Patrol will have the chance to do so, even if the meet-and-greet needs to be extended beyond the end of the game.

Plus, August 18 is a Kids Eat Free Sunday, so children 14 years old and younger can receive a voucher for a free hot dog, bag of chips and bottle of water. Knot Hole Kids Club members can also run the bases after the game.

Presented By Aquafina, Meijer.

Tickets to the games are available to purchase at https://www.milb.com/indianapolis/tickets/paw-patrol

In addition to Nick Jr. Weekend featuring PAW Patrol, the Indianapolis Indians will also be hosting Nickelodeon Weekend featuring Rise of the TMNT over August 23-24!

More Nick: Nickelodeon and Minor League Baseball Partner for the Nickelodeon Minor League Sports Tour!

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Nickelodeon and Minor League Baseball Partner for the Nickelodeon Minor League Sports Tour

SpongeBob SquarePants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are heading on a tour across North America this summer, where they will visit some special Minor League Baseball games! Check out Nickelodeon's Minor League Sports Tour dates below!


SpongeBob SquarePants
Team: St. Lucie Mets
When: Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Team: Lansing Lugnuts
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2019 [more info]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Team: Kane County Cougars
When: Friday, June 14, 2019

SpongeBob SquarePants
Team: Traverse City Baseball
Date: Saturday, July 6, 2019

SpongeBob SquarePants
Team: Lexington Legends
When: Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Team: Indianapolis Indians
Date: Friday, August 23 - Saturday, August 24, 2019 [more info]


More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles News and Highlights!

May 2019 on Nickelodeon Greece: Henry Danger | PAW Patrol | Rusty Rivets | Sunny Day

Below is a round-up of Nickelodeon Greece's (Ελλάδα) programming highlights for May 2019!

This May (Μαΐου), Nickelodeon Ελλάδα will be premiering:

Henry Danger (Χένρι Ο Επικίνδυνος)
Brand-new episodes
- Premiering: Saturdays and Sundays at 22:30 from Saturday 4th May 2019


Χενρι ο επικίνδυνος / henry danger - ΝΕΑ ΕΠΕΙΣΟΔΙΑ
πρεμιέρα Σάββατο 04 Μαΐου στις 22:30 κάθε Σάββατο και Κυριακή στις 22:30

Ο 13χρονος Henry Hart αναλαμβάνει μία part time δουλειά ως Kid Danger, το δεξί χέρι του υπερήρωα Captain Man. Δίνοντας την υπόσχεση ότι θα κρατήσει τη νέα του ταυτότητα μυστική, ο Henry πρέπει να ζήσει τη διπλή ζωή, εξισορροπώντας τις προκλήσεις τουσχολείου με τις τρελές περιπέτειες ενός μαχητή του εγκλήματος.

Rusty Rivets
Brand-new episodes
- Airs: Saturdays and Sundays at 17:30 from Saturday 18th May 2019


rusty rivets ΝΕΑ επεισόδια
πρεμιέρα Σάββατο 18 Μαΐου στις 17:30 κάθε ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ και Κυριακή στις 17:30

Το Ράστυ Ρίβετς είναι μια κωμική περιπέτεια κινουμένων σχεδίων προσχολικής ηλικίας με πρωταγωνιστή τον Ράστυ , έναν σχεδιαστή - κατασκευαστή - κάντο μόνος σου- δεκάχρονο που λύνει προβλήματα με την εφευρετικότητα του και τις καινοτόμες ιδέες του. Όποια και αν είναι η πρόκληση , ο Ράστυ μπορεί να πάντα να χτίζει την λύση με την τεράστια γκάμα των gadgets , εργαλείων και ανταλλακτικών . Κάθε δοκιμή και λάθος οδηγεί με μια μεγαλύτερη ιδέα και παρέα με το κατοικίδιο του τον Μπότασαρ , τον γκατζετάκια γείτονα του Ράστυ και τους ρομποτοβοηθούς τους ,τα Μπάιτς ,καταλήγουν να φτιάχνουν μια μοναδική μηχανή που σώζει την κατάσταση στο τέλος της μέρας.

PAW Patrol
Brand New Episodes
Airs: Weekdays at 17:30 from Monday 20th May 2019


Ρaw patrol - ΝΕΑ επεισόδια
πρεμιέρα Δευτέρα 20 Μαΐου στις 17:30 Δευτέρα - Παρασκευή στις 17:30

Καμία δουλειά δεν είναι πολύ μεγάλη και κανένα κουτάβι δεν είναι πολύ μικρό! Το PAW Patrol είναι μία προσχολικής σειρά με πρωταγωνιστές έξι ηρωικά κουτάβια και επικεφαλή ένα 10χρονο αγόρι, ειδικό στις νέες τεχνολογίες, τον Ryder. Με έναν μοναδικό συνδυασμό δεξιοτήτων, ένα φοβερό όχημα και φυσικό χιούμορ, η ομάδα PAW Patrol συνεργάζεται για να φέρει εις πέρας δύσκολες αποστολές διάσωσης ώστε να προστατεύσουν την κοινότητα Adventure Bay.

Sunny Day (Η μέρα της σανη)
Brand New Episodes
Airs: Weekdays at 19:00 from Monday 20th May 2019


Η μέρα της σανη / sunny day - ΝΕΑ επεισόδια
πρεμιέρα Σαββάτο 20 Μαΐου στις 19:00 Δευτέρα – Παρασκευή 19:00

Tο Sunny Day είναι γεμάτο δράση, γέλια και μουσική! Η δεκάχρονη ταλαντούχα Sunny έχει το δικό της σαλόνι ομορφιάς! Με τις μοναδικές της δεξιότητες, την θετική της ενέργεια και τη δύναμή της λύνει δημιουργικά όλα τα προβλήματα και βοηθά τους φίλους της στην πολύχρωμη κοινότητα των Friendly Falls όταν αυτοί την χρειάζονται περισσότερο. Χρησιμοποιεί πάντα τις δεξιότητές της στο στυλ! Με δημιουργικό τρόπο καταφέρνει να είναι αρχηγός και εμπνέει την ατομικότητα σε κάθε προσχολική ηλικία.

Περισσότερα Nick: Greek Favourites Win Big in Nickelodeon's Kids’ Choice Awards 2019 | Nickelodeon Greece!

Original source: Greek Digital TV; Additional source: Google Translate.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Greece News and Highlights!

May 2019 on Nickelodeon Russia: Noobees | RBUK | Knight Squad S2 | Crossover Specials Week + More

--- This May (мае), Nickelodeon Russia (Россия) will be premiering:


Смотри в мае | Nickelodeon Россия
Что тебя ждёт в мае

-- The brand-new show Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty (RBUK; Радужно-бабочково-единорожная кошка) Sundays at 11:40 MCK from Sunday 5th May 2019! [more info]

-- More brand-new episodes of Noobees (Нубы) weekdays at 16:05 MCK!

-- Knight Squad (Команда Рыцарей) season two, weekdays at 15:45 MCK from Monday 27th May 2019!

--- Additionally, Nickelodeon Россия will:

-- Host a music-themed SpongeBob SquarePants (Губки Боба) marathon, featuring the most musical episodes of the hit animated series, on Wednesday 1st May 2019, starting at 10:50 MCK!

-- Host Cousins for Life (Под одной крышей) marathons on between 15:20 MCK - 17:20 MCK on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May 2019!

-- Host a crossover specials week between Monday 6th - Friday 10th May 2019, featuring crossover episodes of all your favourite Nickelodeon shows, including Henry Danger (Опасный Генри), The Thundermans (Грозная семейка), Game Shakers (Игроделы) and The Haunted Hathaways (Призраки дома Хатэвэй)! During crossover specials week, Nick will air two crossover episodes daily at 15:20 MCK between Monday - Thursday, with special encore presentations on Friday from 12:55 MCK!

From Nickelodeon Россия's VKontakte page:

Что новенького в мае

У нас для тебя столько классных новостей… Читай скорее!

Начались майские мини-каникулы, и мы отметим это событие музыкальным марафоном — сегодня в 10:50 МСК начинаем показывать все самые песенные, самые танцевальные серии «Губки Боба Квадратные Штаны»!

Потанцуем?

Радуги много не бывает!

На последний весенний месяц мы приберегли самую разноцветную премьеру — «Радужно-бабочково-единорожную кошку»! Готовься к блёсткам, волшебным вечеринкам и сверкающим диско-шарикам!

Очаровательная кошка Фелисити живёт в полном магии городе — Мифландии. Она любит приключения, вечеринки, и помогать своим друзьям! А для этого у неё есть суперспособности: Сила Бабочки, Сила Радуги и Сила Единорога. Не пропускай новые серии — начинаем 5 мая и смотрим каждое воскресенье в 11:40 МСК.

Продолжаем!

Смотри новые серии по будням!

С этим латиноамериканским сериалом не заскучаешь. Какие ещё способности Косники появятся у Сильвии? Какие ещё козни подстроит Рут? Признается ли Сильвия папе в том, что она теперь Аватар? Ох, сколько же ещё загадок нас ждёт. А ответы на все вопросы узнаешь в новых сериях шоу «Нубы» – по будням в 16:05 МСК.

И это еще не всё…

Весёлая история о рыцарях Астории

Мы знаем, ты ждал продолжения этой истории. Рыцари Астории возвращаются: с новыми сражениями, опасными приключениями и старыми секретами. Премьера второго сезона «Команды рыцарей» — с 27 мая, по будням, в 15:45 МСК.

АА ещё, в мае тебя ждут классные марафоны!

Во-первых, нам та-а-ак понравилась история Иви и Стюарта «Под одной крышей», что мы решили пересмотреть все вышедшие серии вместе с тобой! Смотри марафон в ближайшие выходные – 4 и 5 мая, с 15:20 до 17:20 МСК.

И да, это то, о чём ты подумал – разные вселенные пересекутся на Nickelodeon! С 6 по 10 мая мы запускаем марафон серий-кроссоверов: «Опасный Генри», «Грозная семейка», «Игроделы» и «Призраки дома Хатэвэй» — эти шоу перемешаются во что-то супервесёлое. Смотри с понедельника по четверг – сразу по 2 серии, в 15:20 МСК, и повтор всех серий в пятницу – в 12:55 МСК.

Зачем выбирать любимый сериал, если можно их объединить!
И последняя, но не менее важная хорошая новость: до лета остался всего один месяц! Давай проведём его вместе.

Больше Nick: The Island of Dreams Moscow to Open 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'-Themed Area in September 2019!

Additional source: Google Translate.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Russia News and Highlights!

Vudu to Debut 'Blue's Clues & You' Ahead of Linear TV Launch

Walmart-owned ad supported streaming service Vudu today announced during its 2019 NewFront presentation that it will debut the first three episodes of Blue's Clues & You, Nickelodeon's upcoming Blue’s Clues revival, ahead of their linear TV premieres on Nickelodeon in November 2019!


Vudu also revealed that, in addition to Blue’s Clues & You, the AVOD will be streaming classic episodes of the original beloved preschool series.

Blue's Clues & You is Nickelodeon's remake of the groundbreaking, curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues, which is bringing back beloved puppy Blue for an all-new generation of preschoolers. Premiering in November, the series features all-new CG animation, updates to favorite characters and stars Broadway actor Joshua Dela Cruz as the new live-action host.

Dela Cruz will have a new generation of preschoolers searching for clues with the beloved energetic girl puppy Blue. Production on Blue’s Clues & You is underway in Toronto.

Original Blue’s Clues host Steve Burns helped guide the audition process during the search for the new host. Said Burns, “I had the great honor of being a part of the search for the new host, and I give Josh two thumbs up! He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt.”

Joshua Dela Cruz, the host of Blue's Clues & You
Joshua Dela Cruz is making his television series regular debut as the new host of Blue’s Clues & You. Dela Cruz recently appeared in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway as the understudy for Aladdin and a member of the ensemble. Other notable theatre credits include David Byrne’s Here Lies Love and Encores!: Merrily We Roll Along. He has also appeared in CBS’ Bull and ABC’s Time After Time.

“The search for the new host of Blue’s Clues & You was no small task, but we knew as soon as we met Josh that he was the perfect choice,” said Shelly Sumpter Gillyard, Executive Vice President, Talent, Music and Events, Nickelodeon Group. “From his genuineness to his comedic timing and range, there was no doubt that he could carry the show on for the next generation of preschoolers.”

Added Cathy Galeota, Senior Vice President, Preschool Content, Nickelodeon Group: “From the moment we decided to make a new version of the series, we knew that so much of the energy and magic of the show comes from the host’s ability to bring preschoolers into the colorfully animated world of Blue and her friends. Josh’s wonderful theater background and his natural charisma checked all the boxes for us, and of course Steve’s stamp of approval only solidified our decision.”

In Blue’s Clues & You (20 episodes), beloved puppy Blue invites viewers to join her and the live action host on a clue led adventure and solve a daily puzzle. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspires viewers to interact with the action.

The original Blue’s Clues series launched in September 1996 to critical praise from educators, parents, and preschoolers and ran for six groundbreaking seasons. Created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela C. Santomero, Blue’s Clues drew acclaim and high ratings for its unique interactivity that helped change the way kids watch television and has remained one of the most popular preschool shows of all time. The landmark series also raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions, and anatomy.

Nickelodeon is in the midst of reviving some of the network's most popular shows. Rugrats for example, is being rebooted for not only a Nickelodeon TV show, but a CGI/live-action movie as well. Nickelodeon also announced that Rocko's Modern Life would be returning to the network with a TV movie, as well as Invader Zim, which will likely be getting its TV movie in 2019. Nickelodeon also revived Legends of the Hidden Temple and Hey Arnold! for TV movies, which aired in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and has also revived Double Dare. Nickelodeon will also be reviving All That with a all-new cast as well as old favorites in Summer 2019.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!

Sources: Broadcasting & Cable, TechCrunch; Additional source: The Hollywood Reporter.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Preschool, Nick Jr. and Blue's Clues & You News and Highlights!

'Monsters Abroad' | Full Pilot Animatic by Hannah Ayoubi | Nickelodeon Pilots

Artist Hannah Ayoubi (Harvey Beaks) has shared the animatic for the pilot episode of Monsters Abroad, a potential new animated Nickelodeon series!


Monsters Abroad Pilot - Animatic from Hannah Ayoubi on Vimeo.

Monsters Abroad begun life as a web comic Hannah created for fun all the way back in 2013. The concept was then was put into development to be a show at Nickelodeon in 2014. However, since then, the project has been in all kinds of development limbo, and the future of the project is still currently unknown.

Monsters Abroad follows the adventures of Leesie, a new girl at the school which has just hired her father as its tech guy. During her first days at her new school school, Leesie makes friends with Cherry, who hides a monster-sized secret - she's actually a monster, and that she's not the only one around school who is!

If you've enjoyed Monsters Abroad, show you're support by letting Hannah know on Twitter and Instagram!

Monsters Abroad features the voices of:

Kyle June Williams as Leesie
Maz Jobrani (Life on a Stick, Superior Donuts) as Ali
Della Saba (Best Baddies) as Cherry / Robin
Gene Goldstein (Planet Panic, The Loud House) as Kazuma
Olivia Hack (Hey Arnold!) as Lucille
Kevin Michael Richardson (Woodchips, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Blaze and the Monster Machines, The Penguins of Madagascar, Monsters vs. Aliens, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Back at the Barnyard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)


More Nick: Nickelodeon Developing New AR/VR Animated Series 'Meet the Voxels'!

Additional source: IMDb (II, III).
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On This Day in 1999: We First Met SpongeBob | Nickelodeon

On This Day in 1999: We First Met SpongeBob!



On this day 20 years ago, we first met SpongeBob!

Do you remember when you first met SpongeBob? 💛🍍

Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as a pop culture phenomenon. The series has been the most-watched animated program with kids 2-11 for more than 15 consecutive years, and over the past several years, it has averaged more than 100,000,000 total viewers every quarter across all Nickelodeon networks. SpongeBob SquarePants is the most widely distributed property in Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) history, seen in more than 208 countries and territories and translated in 55+ languages. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimistic and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Among those friends are SpongeBob's best friend, a pink starfish named Patrick Star, his neighbor and co-worker octopus Squidward Tentacles, and Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel from Texas. Since its launch, the beloved series has generated a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base.

SpongeBob SquarePants is created by Stephen Hillenburg, who previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeon's animated series Rocko's Modern Life. Hillenburg graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a master's degree in experimental animation and his undergraduate degree, from Humboldt State University, was in natural science with an emphasis in marine biology. Hillenburg executive produced the series until his untimely passing in November 2018. His first feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which debuted Nov. 19, 2004 and his second theatrical, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, hit theaters Feb. 6, 2015, landing at #1 opening weekend.

SpongeBob SquarePants has been renewed through to at least the show's twelfth season, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019, has its own critically acclaimed Broadway show, set to tour the U.S. from Fall 2019, and has a third upcoming movie, The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge, set to be released in Summer 2020. The series is produced at Nickelodeon in Burbank.

Nickelodeon is commemorating 20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants with the “Best Year Ever”—a year-long tribute to one of the most iconic TV series and characters ever created. The “Best Year Ever” kicks off Friday, July 12, with the premiere of “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout,” an original mixed live-action and animated special, and leads up to the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies theatrical, The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge, coming summer 2020.


Nickelodeon will also commemorate the series with: a new product line by master toy partner Alpha Group, featuring figures that showcase SpongeBob’s iconic meme moments; collaborations with lifestyle brand Cynthia Rowley for a SpongeBob wetsuit and international mixed-media artist Romero Britto; the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel and mobile game; a SpongeBob SuperFan game show; plenty of spin-offs; and more.

Check out Nickelodeon's On This Day and Remember When Facebook pages to find out awesome Nick moments from every era throughout Nickelodeon history!

From CNN:

SpongeBob and the 7 life lessons he taught a generation

It's been 20 years, and the little sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea still resonates with people around the world.

The Nickelodeon cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants," created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, features a nasally yellow sea sponge filled with bubbly optimism even in some of the most absurd situations.

Since its debut on May 1, 1999, the syndicated children's show has become a fixture in pop culture, especially among millennials.

From endless memes to giant parade balloons to the Super Bowl, the franchise, with more than 200 episodes and counting, has found a way to keep the spirit of SpongeBob SquarePants alive.

While the character's mass appeal has surprised some critics, SpongeBob's millennial fanbase, now grown-up adults, took away messages on friendship, honesty and finding the courage to be yourself.

Here are just seven life lessons that influenced a generation.

You can do whatever you set your mind to

Starting from the day he barges into the successful restaurant known as the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob is ready to take on any task — even if it involves flipping patties behind the fry cooker.

He chants over and over and over again, "I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!"

And when orders start piling up and the job feels overwhelming, SpongeBob perseveres and saves the day.

His not-so-secret secret is not letting other people's doubts discourage him from what he wants to do.

SpongeBob believes in himself, and it shows every time we see him wake up loud and proud each morning.

Be kind to everyone but not to the point of death

SpongeBob always has people's best interests in mind. Perhaps, too much at times.

SpongeBob can admittedly be overly eager, including when he tries to help an elderly woman quickly cross the street. But he has the best intentions.

Some days, SpongeBob wakes up and sets a goal to complete a series of random acts of kindness just to be someone else's hero. On other days, our yellow friend wants to be the change he wanted to see in the world and inspire his friends to do the same.

But no matter how he's feeling on a given day, SpongeBob doesn't discriminate against who should be treated with kindness and respect.
Everyone is equal.

You can't spell 'fun' without friends

SpongeBob considers just about everyone in Bikini Bottom his friend. But there was never a doubt that Patrick, the pink starfish, has and will always be SpongeBob's best friend.

The two go on fun adventures, laughing at themselves as they make memories along the way.

And that's what friends are for: having fun.

SpongeBob is so adamant about this that he devotes an entire song to help people remember.

"'F' is for friends who do stuff together. 'U' is for you and me. 'N' is for anywhere and anytime at all down here in the deep blue sea."

Own your mistakes, no matter the consequences

People aren't perfect, and that includes SpongeBob.

He's accidentally splatted a drop of paint on Mr. Krabs' most prized possession. He's gotten orders at the Krusty Krab wrong.

Mistakes happen.

But every time SpongeBob realizes that he has made a mistake, he fesses up and apologizes.

Sure, people are upset in the beginning, but you know what happens in the end? People forgive him because he tells the truth.

And in some cases, our truth is the only value we have left that can give us a second chance at redemption.

Our identities shouldn't be made into jokes

As much as there is to learn from SpongeBob about what to do, there is an equal amount to learn about what not to do.

When his stand-up comedy gig begins tanking, SpongeBob stoops to a new low as he makes squirrel jokes to get the audience to laugh.

But his friend Sandy, a squirrel in the crowd, doesn't find these jokes funny but rather hurtful, especially hearing them from a friend she is there to support.

SpongeBob learns to value his friends' feelings and not use their pain to further his success.

Find positivity in everything you do

Not everyone SpongeBob meets is as jolly as he is.

His neighbor and co-worker, Squidward, is a persistent grouch. Plankton, the business rival of Mr. Krabs, is always plotting ways to take down the Krusty Krab.

But even faced with sour characters, SpongeBob stays true to himself and lets his spirit shine.

And eventually, SpongeBob's infectious positivity catches on.

Not being cool can actually be very cool

SpongeBob is not like everyone else.

He has a pet snail named Gary whom he talks to all the time. His red tie, brown shorts and black shoes with tube socks give him a quirky look. He encourages people to use their imagination as if it's some internal, cosmic experience.

When he tries to be someone he isn't -- a muscular beach volleyball player or a popular socialite -- his friends hardly recognize him. And that's usually when SpongeBob realizes pretending to be someone else isn't worth it.

Being your authentic self is easier, and the reward of having genuine friends who appreciate it is far greater.

###

From Quartzy:

UGLY AND I'M PROUD
THE KEY TO THE ENDURING APPEAL OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, ON HIS 20TH BIRTHDAY

Everyone’s favorite show about an optimistic yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea is celebrating its 20th birthday today.

Nickelodeon debuted SpongeBob SquarePants on May 1, 1999. Twelve TV seasons, two movie adaptations, and one Broadway musical later, that optimistic yellow sponge is an international superstar. By the time the show celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009, it had been crowned the most widely distributed franchise in the history of Viacom (known then as MTV Networks). And as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit have grown to be social media behemoths, those networks breathed new life into the series as internet memes. Dozens of dedicated SpongeBob fan communities and Twitter threads attest to the show’s enduring charm. When Stephen Hillenburg, the show’s beloved creator, died from ALS in November, there was an outpouring of grief and heartfelt tributes to the marine-biologist-turned-animator.

SpongeBob’s 20th year is already off to an impressive start. Super Bowl LIII’s halftime show featured a clip from season 2’s “Band Geeks” episode where SpongeBob and his motley crew performed at the “Bubble Bowl.” (It was arguably the best part of Maroon 5’s performance.) In February, Nickelodeon’s president announced the TV network’s plan to produce SpongeBob’s first-ever character spin-off shows. As of last week, you can have your very own SpongeBob Squarepants collectible meme toy, released by Nickelodeon just in time for the show’s birthday.

In case you live under a rock (which is also where SpongeBob’s best friend, the lovable starfish Patrick Star, lives), the 11-minute show takes place in a town on the ocean floor known as Bikini Bottom. It follows the infectiously cheery and disarmingly naive SpongeBob SquarePants to his job flipping crabby patties, chronicling his adventures with his BFF Patrick and his feisty, fiercely loyal Texan squirrel friend Sandy Cheeks, and his perpetually annoyed neighbor Squidward.

And the show’s humor holds up—both for millennials who grew up on it, and for parents of today’s children, beaten down by repeated viewings of “Baby Shark.” Unlike many dull or maddening cartoons meant for children, SpongeBob is riddled with adult humor and multidimensional jokes that parents can laugh at with their children, recalling other classics of the genre, including Nickelodeon’s Ren & Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life—the show Hillenburg wrote for before SpongeBob. Adult viewers are also rewarded with literary references ranging from Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart, to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, to Nosferatu.

Kyle Jarrow, the writer behind the 2017 Tony-nominated Broadway musical adaptation, attributes SpongeBob’s massive appeal to this cross-generational quality. “For kids, it works because they like stuff that’s wacky and sort of off,” Jarrow told me. “For adults, it feels like a breath of fresh air because it’s unharnessed from reality, and there’s something about surreal, absurd humor that feels like a break from the real world.”

Jarrow, now 39, didn’t grow up on the show himself. He was introduced to it as a college student and was immediately drawn to the unyielding naïveté and optimism of the show’s central character. “As a kid, you kind of have that in you, so I think you recognize it in yourself,” Jarrow said. “But as an adult, we kind of wish we had more—or at least I do.”

Here are some of the show’s greatest hits, including some that have taken on a new life on the internet or in pop culture: [continue on article at qz.com]

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From Geek.com:

20 Years Later, How ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Still Feels Fresh


Twenty years ago today, a cartoon series debuted that would have effects far beyond its humble beginnings. It would almost single-handedly keep a network afloat, inspire a feature film and a Broadway musical, sell over $13 billion in merchandise, and spawn countless number of memes. And it started with one of the most ludicrous premises ever: what if a sponge worked at a fast food restaurant?

How did SpongeBob SquarePants come to be, and what was behind its wild success? Let’s dive deep into the history of the cartoon and learn more.

The Dawn of Nickelodeon

The early days of cable programming had a lot of Wild West mentality. Networks were launched on shoestring budgets with made-up mandates, and Nickelodeon was no different. Seeing a void in programming exclusively targeted to kids, Warner Cable launched the channel in 1979 devoid of commercials as what’s called a “loss leader,” meaning that the benefit to gaining new subscribers was worth the cost of running the station. The majority of its initial programming came from Columbus, Ohio-based QUBE. Instead of commercials, the channel filled breaks with filmed footage of mime performances.

By 1984, Nickelodeon was unsurprisingly losing $10 million a year.

The company hired an advertising firm to rebrand the fledgling channel and began accepting whatever advertising they could sell. They also established a late-night block, Nick at Nite, showing retro shows from the 50s and 60s. A few years later, Nickelodeon was sold to Viacom (along with MTV and VH1).

It took the new network some time to find its footing, but the first tipping point came in 1991 with the premieres of three original animated series — Doug, Rugrats, and The Ren & Stimpy Show. The three initial “Nicktoons” helped the channel develop its own identity and stake out a place in the market beyond re-runs and slime drops. But two of those three series fell off the air, leaving Rugrats to do the heavy lifting. Nick needed a new series that would grab the zeitgeist, and they found it in a very unusual place.

Enter the Sponge

Stephen Hillenburg wasn’t your average cartoon creator. Born in Oklahoma, he had a love for marine animals as a child and after graduating from Humboldt State University he worked at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point as a biology instructor, teaching visitors about the complex and fascinating ecology of the sea. While there, he also used his artistic talents to create an educational comic book for the Institute called The Intertidal Zone. After a few years, he realized that his true passion was for art, and enrolled in Cal Arts’ prestigious animation program.

After graduation, Hillenburg made a few experimental shorts before being hired as a director on Nickelodeon’s Rocko’s Modern Life. When that series went off the air, some of his co-workers started pressing him to put a pitch together for his own show. One of the characters from The Intertidal Zone, Bob the Sponge, would be the core. He put a presentation together complete with a underwater terrarium with character models in it and it impressed Nick executives enough for them to fund a pilot in 1997.

They had two weeks to put it together, and Hillenburg and creative director Derek Drymon were panicked that it wouldn’t go over. But that first 11 minute clip was so solid that the Nick brass immediately watched it again and then decided to make SpongeBob SquarePants the network’s first original Saturday morning cartoon.

The first episode aired after the Kids Choice Awards on May 1, 1999, and everybody knew they were watching something special. But could Nickelodeon break the broadcast networks’ stranglehold on Saturday morning programming?

Yes, and it didn’t take long. Within a month of its premiere, SpongeBob SquarePants toppled Pokemon as the highest-ranked Saturday morning cartoon on television. Even more interesting, it helped push Nickelodeon’s demographic in an unexpected direction. Of each episode’s 2.2 million average viewers, 40 percent were over the age of 18. Hillenburg had wanted to make a series that was accessible to kids but also nodded to adults that might be watching, much like Ren & Stimpy but with a warmer heart.

That cross-generational appeal would lead to some pretty unusual outings for the residents of Bikini Bottom, including airing late nights on MTV in the mid-2000s.

Trust the Process

Many aspects of SpongeBob SquarePants‘s production were unusual for the time. Most animated series were created script-first — a writer would put down all the jokes and dialogue in text format, and then it would be sent off to storyboard artists. But Hillenburg wanted to look back at the early days of animation, where the initial creative force was visual, not verbal. After a basic premise was generated for each story, it would be taken over by storyboard directors who would map out the whole thing in rough drawings. After that, writers would riff off the storyboards to write dialogue.

That let the show have breathing room to play with visual gags created by visual artists as well as dialogue by gifted comedy writers. It employed a wide variety of illustrative approaches, from painted Ren & Stimpy-esque gross-outs to surreal live-action, public domain footage and puppet sequences. That visual freedom was a major inspiration on the generation of animators that followed. That same freedom also extended to the voice actors, who folded in a good deal of improvisation when recording their lines. The sessions are always held as a group, more like an old radio serial than the modern one-at-a-time process. Unlike so many kids’ cartoons, which felt like they were focus grouped into oblivion, SpongeBob SquarePants felt loose, funky, and very personal.

Hillenburg left the day-to-day of SpongeBob after the show’s third season, moving to an executive producer role, and most dedicated fans agree that it started to slip in quality after that. Nickelodeon wasn’t about to let them stop at 60 episodes, though, and a new crew has continued to produce new episodes into the show’s eleventh season, which is currently airing. Although there have been flashes of brilliance, SBSP has fallen prey to the same curse that strikes most long-running series, repeating plot lines and running out of originality.

That didn’t slow the franchise down, though. SpongeBob and the rest of the Bikini Bottom dwellers still make bank for Nickelodeon across reruns, merchandise, and other odd tie-ins like a full-on Broadway musical. It’s easily the most successful franchise the network has ever created, and the character has become synonymous with the channel.

Staying Power

Despite losing some steam with creative turnover, those first three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants still feel fresh and relevant over two decades later. There’s just something synergistic about the team Hillenburg put together on those early shows. One of the most vital elements has to do with the characters themselves. While most children’s cartoons feature kids as their main characters, SpongeBob and his undersea friends were all adults. Sure, the protagonist was naive and foolish, and his best friend wasn’t terribly smart, but they had to deal with grown-up problems like working an unrewarding job and navigating social spaces. Watching characters who were meant to be adults behave in surreal and hilarious manners gave those early SpongeBobs a unique feeling.

The loss of that feeling in the middle seasons, as characters sort of “flattened out” and became parodies of themselves, is something that’s very common in animation (The Simpsons has been doing it for decades). Interestingly enough, when Hillenburg came back to the show in 2015 after a hiatus to make short films and work on other projects, he brought that spirit back with him, and some of the more recent seasons have been more true to the original vision.

Finally, the staff assembled to work on the show was a unique one for Nickelodeon. In addition to veteran animators, SpongeBob brought in talent from many different mediums. Underground cartoonists Kaz and Sam Henderson both wrote and drew storyboards. Nickelodeon junior executive Merriwether Williams would make the jump to the creative side, becoming one of the show’s most dependable early episode writers. That diversity of perspective helped make the show feel different from anything else on the air.

Of course, that difference wouldn’t last. SpongeBob‘s success inspired a tidal wave of imitators working the same ground. Shows like Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island tried to capture the mix of antic surrealism and clear, recognizable characters and mostly failed. Other, less-derivative programs like Gumball showed you could learn from Nickelodeon’s hit while still having your own identity, and it’s hard to find a show on kids’ TV now that doesn’t have some element you could trace back to SpongeBob.

Millions of Memes

It’s fair to say that SpongeBob SquarePants is second only to The Simpsons in sheer volume of Internet memes created. Hell, the New York Times even wrote an article about it. The show’s lasting appeal on the Internet is pretty simple: the kids who grew up with SpongeBob are the same ones creating content in mass quantities today, and the visual language of the show is both familiar and strange.

One of the earliest major SpongeBob memes involved a screenshot of Mr. Krabs from second-season episode “Patty Hype” surrounded by a spin-blurred background. That visual was first tweeted out in 2016 with the caption “When you just wake up from a nap and your parents already yelling at you,” and it swiftly became Twitter and Tumblr shorthand for being in a situation where things were spiraling out of control.

But there are more SpongeBob memes than we could ever list here. Dozens and dozens of them, from “Chicken Spongebob” used for repeating inane statements back in ThIs AnNoYiNg FoNt, to “handsome Squidward” and even the “time cards” used by the narrator to depict the passage of hours. The contributions to meme vocabulary from SpongeBob are legion, and new ones are still being created.

SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg passed away last year from complications relating to ALS. He left behind a show that not only let Nickelodeon recapture their dominance over the animation world, but also became a cultural touchstone for a whole generation. Not too bad for a marine biologist.

###

From USA Today:

Why, 20 years later, 'SpongeBob SquarePants' endures as one of the best kids' shows around

Twenty years later, that pineapple under the sea is still pretty fresh.

Hard as it is for the millennials who grew up watching to believe, "SpongeBob SquarePants" turns 20 on Wednesday. The beloved Nickelodeon show premiered May 1, 1999, and quickly became a pop-culture institution that shaped a generation of humor and remains relevant even into its original viewers' adulthood.

Although children's TV can be formative, few series have echoed the cultural footprint of "SpongeBob," which spawned a (short-lived) Broadway musical, two feature films (a third is due in 2020), comic books, video games, theme-park rides and even a wax figure at Madame Tussaud's.

Its anniversary will be celebrated this summer on Nick with "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout," a new special mixing live action and animation and featuring the cartoon's voice cast playing human versions of SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward and others.

But how, exactly, did an anthropomorphic sponge, a lazy starfish, a greedy fast-food restaurant-owning crab, a squirrel and a fastidious squid become cultural icons?

For folks in their late 20s and early thirties who were among the first "SpongeBob" viewers, the cartoon series earned a dedicated following by treating the kids who watched it as adults.

Nothing about "SpongeBob" is ever cutesy or condescending. Its characters are adults, if a little juvenile in their behavior. And "SpongeBob" makes adulthood seem fun and appealing. Its version is what kids themselves would dream up: Working at your favorite place, hanging out with your friends all the time and living in a cool pad with your pet. Even if it's underwater.

The series also gets in plenty of digs in at the worst part of growing up: Losing your sense of fun. Its main antagonist, Squidward, is a straight-laced rule follower who is always trying to bring SpongeBob's carefree attitude down.

SpongeBob's surrealist, odd sense of humor was far ahead of its time. Videos and screenshots from years-old episodes proliferate modern meme culture. It's harder to express your feelings better now than "SpongeBob" did then.

When you revisit famous episodes, it's easy to see the show's quiet brilliance (its running "my leg!" gag never gets old). The comedy ranges from fart jokes to dark capitalist satire.

"SpongeBob" finds nearly as much time for sophisticated parody as animated peers "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" (which premiered four months before "SpongeBob"), even though it is aimed at a considerably younger audience. It boasts a brilliant superhero gag in recurring characters Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, and makes endless allusions, from Edgar Allen Poe to "Kill Bill." Writers – including series creator Steven Hillenburg, who died last year – were never afraid to be strange, loud and daring.

A few years ago, Gen Xers had their heyday of nostalgia when childhood cartoons such as "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" were rebooted as big-budget films. The "SpongeBob" anniversary comes as millennial nostalgia is starting to take over (just look at all those 2000s fashion trends coming back). Thankfully, the little sponge has never gotten a gritty, PG-13 reboot, and probably never will.

The brilliance of "SpongeBob" is that it appeals to both kids and adults just the way it is: Peppy, a little grating and totally bizarre.

###

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Worlds Collide in 'Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Trailer; Release Dates Announced

Update (3/14) - Below is the official press release announcing the release dates for Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, via Anime Superhero:


HEROES UNITE TO COMBAT
MOUNTING VILLAINOUS PLANS AS
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT, DC
AND NICKELODEON PRESENT

BATMAN VS.
TEENAGE MUTANT
NINJA TURTLES

COMING TO
4K Ultra HD™,
BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK AND DIGITAL

OWN IT EARLY ON DIGITAL ON MAY 14;
4K ULTRA HD & BLU-RAY DEBUT ON JUNE 4


Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

BURBANK, CA (March 14, 2019) – It’ll take the unlikely unification of the Dark Knight and the Heroes in a Half-shell to overcome combined villainous forces afoot in Gotham City in the all-new, feature-length animated thriller, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon and DC, the film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting May 14, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack on June 4, 2019.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP), as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD). The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finds Gotham City reaching new levels of danger when Shredder joins forces with Ra’s al Ghul to enact a nefarious plan – leading to the team-up of the Dark Knight and the Turtles to combat the combined might of the Foot Clan and League of Assassins!


Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

The Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all-star cast is led by Troy Baker (Batman: Arkham Origins, The Last of Us) as the voice of both Batman and the Joker – making Baker the first actor to ever play both roles in the same film. Opposite Baker are the Ninja Turtles themselves – Emmy Award/Golden Globe Award/SAG Award winner Darren Criss (American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Glee) as Raphael, Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live) as Michelangelo, Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie) as Donatello, and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, The Woody Woodpecker Show) as Leonardo.

Other key members of the voice cast include Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Batgirl, John DiMaggio (Adventure Time, Futurama) as Mr. Freeze, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Penguin, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911!) as Bane, Cas Anvar (The Expanse) as Ra’s al Ghul, Keith Ferguson (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) as Baxter Stockman & Two-Face, Brian George (Seinfeld) as Alfred, Ben Giroux (Hart of Dixie) as Robin, Andrew Kishino (The Lion Guard) as Shredder, and Jim Meskimen (Parks and Recreation) as Commissioner Gordon & Scarecrow.



Jake Castorena (The Death of Superman) directs Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a script by Marly Halpern-Graser (Mad, Batman Unlimited, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo). The film is inspired by the comic book series “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II (published by DC Comics and IDW Publishing) and is based on characters from DC and Nickelodeon. Ben Jones (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) is producer. Executive producers are Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan. Sam Register and Chris Viscardi are executive producers.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Enhanced Content
Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital

  • Cowabunga, Batman! When Comic Worlds Collide (Featurette)– Super hero crossovers have inspired some of the most unique comics of all time. Explore the concept of the crossover, and see the creativity that ensues when the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet.
  • Fight Night in Gotham (Featurette) – DC animated movies have continued to push the realism of hand-to-hand combat on-screen. Take an exciting look at both Batman’s and the Ninja Turtles’ fighting styles, and how the creators make it feel like you’re in the fight!
  • A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will feature Dolby Vision™ HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

Fans can also own Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via purchase from digital retailers beginning May 14, 2019.

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

On May 14, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On June 4, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

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Movies Anywhere is a digital movie platform that enables movie fans to discover, access, and watch their favorite digital movies in one place. Movies Anywhere brings together a library of nearly 7,500 digital movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment) and Warner Bros., and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. By connecting participating digital retailers that include Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu, movie fans can now bring together their digital movie collections (whether purchased or redeemed) in one place and enjoy them from the comfort of their living rooms, and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku® devices and popular browsers. Movie fans can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere – your movies, together at last.

ABOUT DIGITAL

Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.

BASICS

PRODUCT SRP
4K UHD Combo Pack $39.99
Blu-ray Combo Pack $24.98

4K and Blu-ray Street Date: May 14, 2019
EST Street Date: June 4, 2019
Blu-ray Languages: English, French, Spanish, German
Blu-ray Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for fantasy violence.

Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 39th 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, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family, with 1.2 billion cumulative subscriptions in more than 500 million households across 170+ countries and territories, via more than 100+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc.

About DC
Home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), DC Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, DC is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia. DC works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. © 2019 Viacom International Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. Theatrically, WBA’s full-length film, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, released on July 27, 2018. WBA’s TV series include Teen Titans Go!, Unikitty! and the upcoming DC Super Hero Girls and ThunderCats Roar for Cartoon Network; Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, Bunnicula, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, The Tom and Jerry Show, New Looney Tunes, Wacky Races and the upcoming Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who? and Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs for Boomerang; Mike Tyson Mysteries for Adult Swim; Green Eggs and Ham for Netflix; Harley Quinn and Young Justice: Outsiders for DC Universe; Animaniacs for Hulu; and the upcoming Looney Tunes Cartoons content initiative. As home to the iconic animated characters from the DC, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD, Blu-ray® and digital media. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

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Update (4/3) - From ScienceFiction.com:

WONDERCON 2019: ‘Batman Vs TMNT’ – Roundtable Interviews

Before going in for the World Premiere of ‘Batman Vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ I (and a handful of colleagues from other online sites) sat down with some of the creatives from the film to talk about their experiences making the movie and get a sense of what to expect. All in all, everyone involved seemed to really love making the movie, working with the characters, and are big fans of what they were doing with the story, which is really exciting to see, but not that surprising considering that most of them grew up with both Batman and the Ninja Turtles, making this a kind of dream-project to work on.

According to writer Marly Halperin-Graser, they wanted an “old school cross-over” where “Gotham and New York exist in the same world.” Otherwise he said they:

“…tried to stick to the story and tone as much as they could….The general structure is very similar to the comic.”

When asked about the tone of the movie, especially in regards to Batman being very serious and what level of comedy the turtles would be operating at, Haperin-Graser replied:

“…the biggest inspiration [for tone] is the first 2 live-action TMNT movies…the puppet ones….[this is] the most violent movie the turtles have been in in some time.”

When speaking to producer Ben Jones about a potential sequel or other cross-over opportunities, he says he would love to do a Justice League/Power Rangers movie, even claiming “I have dibs” if it ever happens. When pushed about whether they would make another ‘Batman Vs. TMNT,’ he said:

“Nobody said anything about a sequel, but ideally it would be to bring in Krang and go more sci-fi.”

Next, we spoke to Andrew Kishino, the man who got to play Shredder for the movie, who was very excited about the role and the final product. In his words:

“I am excited to be Shredder, though nervous knowing how many people have inhabited this iconic role before…. I didn’t want to do a bad impersonation of someone else… [he wanted to] make sure the character behind the mask is what shapes him.”

When we got a chance to talk with director Jake Castorena, he had a lot to say about the various pressures of the movie, especially since he was not only answering to Warner Bros and DC, but also to Nickelodeon because of the Turtles. He told us:

“…it wasn’t easy… [figuring out] what is too jokey, too serious, too tame, we had to make a lot of bosses happy… In the end we just had to be genuine.”

Luckily for him, apparently Nickelodeon was very generous with the Turtles, and most of their notes were about making the best final product, not about making sure the Turtles looked good next to the DC characters, which is always a risk when working with two different studios. When I asked about the decision to remove the inter-dimension aspects of the story, Castorena said that at first, he was a little annoyed by the decision, though he quickly saw the logic of it:

“When I first read the script I thought ‘that’s bullshit! How can you cut Dimension-X, etc.’ Now I see that it is a God-send…”

As he explained it, without all the dimensions and portals, they did not have to keep re-explaining the science behind the cross-over throughout the movie, and could just focus on the story and the characters, which is what the fans really want anyway. We ended the Roundtable interviews by speaking to Troy Baker and Cas Anvar, who play Batman, the Joker, and Ras Al Ghul, with Troy being the first voice-actor to portray the Joker and Batman in the same movie. When asked what he thought when the producers asked him to do that, Troy jokingly replied:

“I thought they were drunk… I always felt like they were going to recast me.”

When Cas, who is a huge Ras Al Ghul fan (even to the point of not quite agreeing with DC’s recent statements of how to say the name properly) was asked if he thought Ras would ever consider Shredder to be an heir to the League of Shadows, he was almost insulted, answering:

“SHREDDER!?! …Ras likes people to be at least mentally stable…I don’t know if Ras would view Shredder to be that competent.”

The guys went on to talk about the nature of voice-acting, and how Troy doing two roles was not that out of the ordinary considering the fact that the man routinely talks to himself (which he and Cas laughed about), which meant even in scenes with Batman and Joker he apparently would just read straight through, talking to himself as both characters (though he did admit doing the Joker voice was challenging, and he envied Mark Hamill who seemed to do the character with such ease).

All in all, lots of cool information learned at the event, and now that I have seen the film, I can understand the excitement of the cast and crew about the movie. Make sure to check out my review of ‘Batman Vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie,’ and see the movie for yourself when it comes out on Digital on May 14th and Blu-Ray on June 4th!

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Original post:

It was a comic crossover event for the ages and now it’s an animated movie!: