Nickelodeon continues to reinvent its library of ‘90s content for a new generation of audiences with the greenlighting of a live-action TV movie inspired by its iconic game show Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Drawing from the original game show’s premise of kids competing to retrieve artifacts from a mysterious Mayan temple, the new action-adventure TV movie version will follow three siblings who embark on a high-stakes, life-or-death mission. The Legends of the Hidden Temple TV movie will star Nick’s own Isabela Moner (“100 Things To Do Before High School”) and is slated to begin production in March.
Additionally, Nickelodeon has officially given the greenlight to a two-part animated Hey Arnold! TV movie, written and executive produced by the series’ original creator Craig Bartlett. First announced in development late last year, the now-greenlit TV movie will pick up where the original series ended, resolving unanswered questions and plotlines, including Arnold finally getting answers about the whereabouts of his missing parents. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, the two-hour-long TV movies will debut in 2017.
“The greenlights for the ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple’ and ‘Hey Arnold!’ TV movies are terrific examples of how we are bringing our beloved content back to life both for new audiences and the generation that grew up on them,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Viacom Kids and Family Group. “These TV movies will keep the spirit and essential themes of the original source materials intact, while branching out in new ways that will speak to and captivate today’s kids.”
The TV movie Legends of the Hidden Temple will follow three siblings who break away from a lackluster temple tour in a jungle, finding themselves immersed in a real-life mission comprised of obstacles that they must complete in order to escape alive. The TV movie will feature elements from the original game show including: Olmec, a talking head who knows the secrets behind the temple; The Steps of Knowledge, the entrance to the temple and launching pad for the mission; and cameos from a green monkey, red jaguar, and silver snakes, among others.
Legends of the Hidden Temple is executive produced by Scott McAboy and Jessica Rhoades, and produced by Amy Sydorick. The TV movie is directed by Joe Menendez (“From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series”) and written by Jonny Umansky & Zach Hyatt, and Alex Reid.
