Which Nickelodeon cartoons are being transformed into live-action movies?
Nickelodeon cartoons once ruled after-school lineups and weekend blocks with sharp writing and memorable characters. The 1990s delivered Rugrats and Rocko’s Modern Life, while the 2000s brought SpongeBob SquarePants and Fairly OddParents. Even the live-action slate carried weight. The network later faced a quieter stretch, yet the shift toward streaming opened new lanes. Under Brian Robbins, Nickelodeon began rolling out fresh episodes alongside targeted revivals on the main channel and Paramount+. SpongeBob returned with spin-offs such as Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show, and a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film hit theaters. The same strategy extended to live-action titles like the iCarly revival. A handful of classic cartoons also moved toward live-action adaptations, though outcomes varied once projects reached screens.
Monster High
Toys and cartoons have long fed each other. Monster High started with dolls in 2010 before the surrounding stories took on lives of their own. The setting centered on a high school attended by teenage children of famous monsters alongside regular humans. Nickelodeon produced a live-action musical that reached Paramount+ and Nickelodeon on October 6, 2022. A sequel, Monster High 2, followed on October 5, 2023. A separate theatrical live-action version now sits in active development at Universal Pictures with Mattel Studios and Weed Road. Director Gerard Johnstone joined in June 2025, and writers Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith came aboard in January 2026.
The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder Outcome
Fairly OddParents followed Timmy Turner, a boy with inattentive parents and an overbearing babysitter, who receives fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda. Their wish-granting powers routinely sent the trio into escalating trouble. The original series lasted ten seasons and 172 episodes. The live-action follow-up, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, premiered March 31, 2022 on Paramount+ as a hybrid series. Thirteen episodes aired before the show was not renewed. Paramount+ removed the series in January 2023.
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
Nickelodeon continued the franchise with a new animated series titled The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish. The show premiered May 20, 2024 on Nickelodeon. The full first season arrived on Paramount+ in March 2025. As of July 2026 the series remains on hiatus without an official cancellation.
Universal Pictures Monster High Theatrical Film
The Universal project stands apart from the earlier Nickelodeon musicals. Mattel and Universal announced the new live-action film in June 2024. Gerard Johnstone, known for directing M3GAN, was attached in June 2025. Writers Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith joined the project in January 2026, moving the adaptation into active pre-production.
Other Nickelodeon Live-Action Projects in 2026
Nickelodeon’s current slate shows the live-action strategy still in motion even without new cartoon crossovers. Clash of the Thundermans is scheduled for 2026 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+. Season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is also expected in 2026. These titles keep the pipeline active while the network balances animated and hybrid formats.
NickToons
In 2015 Nickelodeon announced a Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-style feature that would bring characters from Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, SpongeBob SquarePants, Rocko’s Modern Life, and other 1990s properties into one live-action world. The internet reacted with immediate excitement, then the project went quiet. Director Jared Hess later confirmed Paramount had passed on the pitch. No further announcements or confirmed developments have surfaced since the 2015 rejection. Nickelodeon’s 2026 slate instead highlights other live-action and animated titles.
