Hey Arnold! Revival Reportedly In Talks at Paramount, But Fans Already Have One Major Problem With It
30 years later, ’90s TV shows and movies continue to stay relevant, whether that’s with revivals and reboots or with sequels that have spanned decades—as just two examples, 1993’s Jurassic Park and 1995’s Jumanji have both had multiple sequels, and the franchises are continuing to be revisited in new movies even now. ’90s cartoons haven’t always gotten the same treatment as some of the era’s biggest movies, though. While there were many cartoons throughout the decade that are now considered classics, such as Doug, Dexter’s Laboratory, and Rocket Power (although, for the latter, the show was very late ’90s and is arguably more associated with the early 2000s), they’ve typically not seen the same sort of resurgence or longevity.
However, one major cartoon of that era evidently may be getting a revival: Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!, which originally ran from 1996 to 2004. Hey Arnold! has been revisited once before, more than a decade after the series ended. During its original run, in 2002, the feature film Hey Arnold! The Movie came out, followed by the much more recent Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie in 2017, which felt to many like the true conclusion of the franchise. Interest in the fan-favorite cartoon “football head” apparently hasn’t died down, as Paramount is reportedly in talks to create a Hey Arnold! revival; however, the franchise’s legacy has fans concerned over this possible revival for one key reason.
Fans Don’t Want The Jungle Movie’s Ending To Be ‘Ruined’ by a Reboot
According to The Direct, Hey Arnold! writer Joe Purdy has confirmed that Paramount is discussing a Hey Arnold! revival. When asked whether discussions had been had about reviving the series, Purdy replied, “Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes. There is an ever-changing environment of the business and people who are making decisions. It’s the cliché story… But be sure we are [having conversations].” About whether the revival would age Arnold and the other characters up, Purdy said, “Good question. We’re asked that a lot. Would they be much older? Probably not. I think a year or two older. They’re so beloved.”
Presumably, discussions are still in the early stages (or Purdy was being intentionally vague, which is also possible), as he didn’t give a clear answer on the ages of the characters in the revival, whether the show would still be set in the 1990s and what that would look like, or other more specific details. Seemingly, Purdy’s comments about the changing environment are also referencing the ongoing Paramount and Warner Bros. merger that has been a complicated and drawn out process. It makes sense that a project like the Hey Arnold! revival would be on hold until that deal is worked out and cemented.
However, Purdy’s comments did indicate that the story would pick up a few years after audiences last saw Arnold and his friends on screen, and therein lies the source of concern for many fans. Specifically, there is fear that, if the revival is set after The Jungle Movie, it will disrupt what many see as the perfect ending for Hey Arnold! One X post about the reported revival has many comments to that effect, including one that says, “Love the show, but The Jungle Movie was the perfect ending – he found his parents, and he knows how Helga truly feels about him.” Under another X post, a similar comment echoes, “Already got the good ending for the series with the 2nd movie. I don’t think we need a revival of this.”
For now, it remains to be seen if this Hey Arnold! revival is indeed coming, what it would look like, and, of course, how fans will ultimately react.
