Rugrats Go Wild!
Release Date:
June 13, 2003
After two highly successful Rugrats films along with the moderate box office performer The Wild Thornberrys, Nickelodeon and Paramount are combining the two for one big, giant adventure. For those familiar with the two series, all of the major players will be present. The general premise is that Stu, the patriarch of the Pickles family (and some of the central characters in the Rugrats series), invites family and friends to go for a luxury cruise. Of course, nothing ever goes normally in the world of the Rugrats, and they get shipwrecked on a deserted island.
The grownups try to solve the problem in the typical, short-sighted adult way, and in the meantime, the Rugrats break out and go off on their own, and quickly run into baby Tommy Pickles’ television hero, Nigel Thornberry (crossover alert!). The kids hope that Nigel can help them get home, but he bumps his head, causing him to believe he too is a toddler. Fortunately, Nigel’s daughter Eliza is there, and she can talk to animals, including Spike, the Pickles family dog. Interestingly enough, when Spike talks, he sounds an awful lot like Bruce Willis for some reason.
Naturally, everything will turn out okay in the end, but the ride looks to be fun for fans of the show, with pop-culture references as varied as Titanic, Survivor, Lord of the Flies and Gilligan’s Island. Additionally, it has been reported that theater-goers will help Spike the Dog regain his sense of smell through a process known as “Odorama,” similar to gimmicks of the ’50s and ‘60s when audiences were given “smell cards” so that they could, ahem, smell the movie’s action as it took place.
There will be no end of promotion for the film, as Nickelodeon itself will certainly push Rugrats Go Wild! heavily during its commercial rotation. Sponsors already planning tie-ins are Burger King, Quaker, Kid Quisine, Chef Boyardee, Mattell, Golden Books and video game production company THQ.
Though the Rugrats have waned somewhat in popularity in favor of a newer Nickelodeon staple, SpongeBob SquarePants, the film looks to be a hit for youngsters and will even entice willing parents to the cineplex since the show is traditionally known as being enjoyed by all ages. Though Paramount and Nickelodeon have stumbled slightly with the more recent releases of Hey Arnold! The Movie and The Wild Thornberrys movie, this return to their real bread and butter franchise should prove quite lucrative. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Comparison films for Rugrats Go Wild! |
Title |
Date |
Opening |
Adjusted Opening |
Screens |
PSA |
Adj PSA |
Total BO |
Adjusted Total |
Mult |
| Rugrats |
11/20/98 | 27.32 |
35.12 |
2782 |
9820.00 |
12144.1 |
100.49 |
129.19 |
3.68 |
| Rugrats in Paris |
11/17/00 | 22.72 |
25.41 |
2934 |
7744.00 |
8333.1 |
76.46 |
85.53 |
3.37 |
| Wild Thornberrys, The |
12/20/02 | 6.10 |
6.34 |
3012 |
2025.00 |
2025.0 |
43.12 |
44.83 |
7.07 |
| Hey Arnold! The Movie |
6/28/02 | 5.71 |
5.93 |
2527 |
2258.00 |
2258.0 |
13.68 |
14.22 |
2.40 |
| Doug's 1st Movie |
3/26/99 | 4.47 |
5.32 |
2268 |
1971.00 |
2250.4 |
19.42 |
23.14 |
4.34 |
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