USA: THE RUGRATS CARTOON CHARACTERS BECOME FILM STARS

Record ID: 387858

  • Title: USA: THE RUGRATS CARTOON CHARACTERS BECOME FILM STARS
  • Date: 18th October 1998
  • Summary: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ALBIE HECHT: (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "WELL THE RUGRATS HAD GOTTEN SO POPULAR, THEY WERE MORE POPULAR THAN MICKEY MOUSE AND BUGS BUNNY. WE THOUGHT, WHEN YOU HAVE CHARACTERS THAT POPULAR, IT'S TIME TO TAKE TV STARS AND MAKE THEM MOVIE STARS" MORE RUGRATS CHARACTERS ON RED CARPET CHRISTINE CAVANAUGH SAYING IN "CHUCKIE" VOICE (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "H
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA2M85QK3WFAC6ISVZGKGE6G6UI
  • Story Text: After taking the world's television sets and living rooms by storm, the pre-school stars of the hugely popular animated series "The Rugrats" are now headed for the big screen.The cast, crew and guests...including Jack Nicholson....showed up for the World Premiere of "The Rugrats Movie" on Sunday (November 8) in Hollywood.
    "The Rugrats Movie" finds the Pickles family facing the biggest adventure to happen in any household - the birth of a new baby.As parents Stu and Didi Pickles struggle with the changes associated with the arrival of baby Dylan, big brother Tommy and his pals decide that the baby's antics are cramping their style and attempt to take him back to the hospital.
    Along the way, the gang lose their way and end up lost in a vast forest, populated by looming shadows, a wily wolf, a mysterious wizard and a group of hungry monkeys that have escaped from the circus.
    This first feature film version expands on the characters created by Arlene Klasky and Hungarian-born Gabor Csupo for the television series of the same name.Together, they formed Klasy Csupo Inc in 1981 and started work on the show not long after that.
    Over the past eight years, "Rugrats" has become the number one children's series on television in America.Watched by more than 23 million viewers every week, "Rugrats" is bigger with the 2-11 year old crowd than established hits like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.The show airs 19 times a week with a healthy schedule of re-runs and its characters have already spun off into a syndicated comic strip, a series of home videos, a travelling stage show and millions of dollars in merchandising revenue each year.
    The show has been a boon to the cable network Nickelodeon Television.Its president Albie Hecht, who also executive produced the movie, says it was a natural step to turn the characters into movie stars.
    Providing voices for the TV show and the movie are E.G.
    Daily, who plays the Rugrats' fearless leader Tommy, Christine Cavanaugh, who, in addition to voicing Babe the pig, plays Tommy's best friend Chuckie, and Kath Soucie, who voices three characters, the twins Phil and Lill as well as their mother Betty.
    Aside from the familiar voices and quirky animation style, the movie also boasts a soundtrack packed with popular artists.As composed and compiled by former Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh, the soundtrack features songs by Elvis Costello and No Doubt, Lisa Loeb and Patti Smith.
    It also contains the song "This World is Something New to Me," which has been described as a kind of crib-side "We Are the World." An all-star cast of musicians collaborated on the song, which takes place in the hospital nursery while Dylan is being born.Contributing their voices to this song are such diverse talents as Iggy Pop, Lisa Loeb, Lou Rawls and Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers.
    "The Rugrats Movie" opens in theatres throughout the United States on Friday, November 20.
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