Hey Arnold!: The Movie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hey Arnold!: The Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tuck Tucker
Produced by	Craig Bartlett Albie Hecht
Written by	Craig Bartlett Steve Viksten
Starring	Spencer Klein Francesca Marie Smith Jamil Smith Dan Castellaneta Tress MacNeille Paul Sorvino Jennifer Jason Leigh Christopher Lloyd
Music by	Jim Lang
Editing by	Christopher Hink
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 28, 2002 (2002-06-28)
Running time	75 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3–4 million
Money made	$15.2 million

Hey Arnold!: The Movie is an animated adventure comedy film from 2002. It is based on the popular Nickelodeon TV show called Hey Arnold!.

The movie was directed by Tuck Tucker. The story was written by Craig Bartlett, who created the show, and Steve Viksten. Jim Lang created the music. The events in the film happen during the fifth and last season of the Hey Arnold! TV series.

The movie features the voices of Spencer Klein, Francesca Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille, Paul Sorvino, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Christopher Lloyd. In the film, Arnold, Gerald, and Helga work together. They try to save their neighborhood from a greedy developer. He wants to turn their homes into a giant shopping mall.

Nickelodeon Movies, Snee-Oosh, Inc., and Nickelodeon Animation Studio produced the film. Paramount Pictures released it on June 28, 2002. It was the third movie from Nickelodeon Movies based on one of their cartoons. The others were The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. This was also the first Nickelodeon movie based on a Nicktoon to get a PG rating. Critics did not give it great reviews. It made about $15 million, which was more than its $3–$4 million budget.

A TV movie sequel, Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, came out on November 24, 2017.

Plot

Arnold Shortman and his best friend Gerald Johanssen are coming home from a basketball game. They learn that a company called FutureTech Industries (FTI) has big plans. Their CEO, Alphonse Perrier du von Scheck, wants to tear down the whole neighborhood. He plans to build a huge shopping mall there.

That night, Helga Pataki finds out her dad, Big Bob, is working with FTI. He wants to build a new, bigger version of his beeper store in the new mall. Helga feels torn because she likes Arnold, but she decides to side with her father.

Arnold tries to organize a protest against FTI. But it fails when Scheck's workers steal their permit. Arnold's grandma, Gertie Shortman, even gets arrested. This makes many neighbors decide to sell their homes to FTI.

Arnold's grandpa, Phil Shortman, tells a story. It's about the "Tomato Incident," a big battle from the American Revolutionary War. Arnold realizes that his neighborhood must have been made a historic district after that war. This would protect it from being torn down. However, the paper that proves its historic status was sold to Scheck. Scheck denies having it.

As the deadline gets closer, Arnold gets a mysterious call from "Deep Voice." This person tells Arnold that the important paper is in Scheck's office safe. Arnold and Gerald manage to steal the key to the safe from Scheck's assistant, Nick Vermicelli. Nick soon notices the key is gone and tells Scheck.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Phil and the people living in Arnold's boarding house make a backup plan. They plan to use dynamite in the storm drain tunnels under their street. This would stop FTI's construction equipment. Big Bob later joins them. He finds out that Scheck's contract would give Scheck control of most of his company.

Arnold and Gerald, with help from an agent named Bridget, sneak into FTI headquarters. They find Scheck with the document in his hand. Scheck explains that his ancestor was embarrassed by the "Tomato Incident." So, Scheck wants to destroy the neighborhood and build a new building with his name on it. He then burns the document. He calls his guards to get rid of Arnold and Gerald.

Arnold and Gerald escape, feeling like they failed. But "Deep Voice" tells Arnold to get the security camera video of Scheck burning the document. Arnold then finds out that "Deep Voice" is Helga! She finally admits that she loves Arnold.

Helga and Arnold escape the building. They meet Gerald on a city bus. They convince the bus driver, Murray, to rush home because his girlfriend lives in the neighborhood. After some close calls, the kids make it back safely.

Mayor Dixie arrives with the police and a news crew. Arnold and Bridget show everyone the video of Scheck burning the document. They display it on a huge screen called ScheckVision. Mayor Dixie officially declares the neighborhood a historic site again.

Scheck arrives, wondering why the demolition hasn't started. He sees himself burning the document on the big screen. He realizes he's caught and will go to prison. Gertie, who escaped from prison, had messed with his car. Scheck is quickly arrested. Harold accidentally sits on the detonator for Phil's explosives. This destroys the big screen. Helga then pretends she never loved Arnold. She says she only said those things "in the heat of the moment." Arnold doesn't believe her but pretends to accept it as she goes home.

Cast

Production

In 1998, Nickelodeon decided to make a fourth season of Hey Arnold!. They also gave the show's creator, Craig Bartlett, a chance to make two full-length movies. As the fifth season was finishing up in 2001, Bartlett and his team started working on the first movie. It was first called Arnold Saves the Neighborhood.

This project was originally planned to be the last three episodes of season 5 for TV and home video. But after successful test screenings, executives at Paramount Pictures decided to release it in theaters. This decision was also helped by how well the first two Rugrats movies did. These were The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie.

A second movie, Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, was also being made. However, because the first movie didn't do as well as hoped, this project was canceled. Bartlett later left Nickelodeon, and the Hey Arnold! show was canceled. In 2015, it was announced that The Jungle Movie would be made after all, as a TV movie. It first aired on Nickelodeon and its sister channels, TeenNick and Nicktoons, in the United States on November 24, 2017. The movie was later shown on Nickelodeon channels and in some theaters around the world in 2018.

Release

The first trailer for the movie was shown in theaters in late 2001. It played before the movie Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. A second trailer with new animation came out during the 2002 Kids' Choice Awards. Nickelodeon also showed segments called "Backyard Players." In these, kids would act out scenes from the movie as Arnold, Gerald, and Helga. There was even a contest where one lucky winner got to be Arnold for a day and go to the movie's premiere. The song "2-Way" by Lil' Romeo was used to help promote the film.

Hey Arnold!: The Movie was the first animated movie from Nickelodeon to get a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This rating was given for "thematic elements."

Home media

The movie was released on VHS and DVD on December 31, 2002.

Video game

THQ released a video game based on the movie. It was made only for the Game Boy Advance. The game has five worlds, and each world has four levels. The fourth level in each world has a boss to defeat. Players can play as Arnold, Gerald, Grandpa, and Grandma. Helga can also be played, but only by using a special cheat code.

Sequel

A TV movie called Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie is a sequel to this film. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie first aired in the United States on November 24, 2017. This was more than 13 years after the original TV series ended. The first showing was broadcast at the same time on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and Nicktoons.

See also

In Spanish: ¡Oye, Arnold! La película para niños