Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 American animated science fiction comedy film directed by John A. Davis and written by Davis, David N. Weiss, J. David Stem, and Steve Oedekerk, from a story written by Davis and Oedekerk. Produced by Nickelodeon Movies and DNA Productions in association with O Entertainment, the film features the voice of Debi Derryberry as Jimmy Neutron, a schoolboy with super-genius intelligence, who must save all the parents of his hometown from a race of egg-like aliens known as the Yolkians. The voice cast also includes Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Rob Paulsen, Jeffrey Garcia, and Carolyn Lawrence. The film was initially conceived by Davis as Runaway Rocketboy!, featuring a character named Johnny Quasar. After being dormant for years, the concept was revamped into a computer-animated short and pitched to Nickelodeon, which led to the development of both a television series and a full-length film. Production for the film commenced in early 2000 and took 24 months, significantly increasing staff and studio space. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was the first computer-animated film to be created entirely with off-the-shelf animation programs, which included LightWave 3D and messiah:studio and Alias Maya. DNA Productions, Davis' animation studio, handled the animation for the film. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius premiered at the Paramount studio lot on December 9, 2001, before being theatrically released in the United States on December 21 by Paramount Pictures. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $103 million against a budget of $25–30 million. It was nominated for the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 74th Academy Awards. It spawned an expanded franchise, including a television series, a spin-off series, video games, and a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida.