Invader Zim is coming back to television! That news should shock a vast majority of you, seeing as the show suffered terrible ratings during its brief but highly acclaimed stint on television. Its cult status, unique animation, and rabid fan base has kept the series relevant to the point you can still find a GIR T-shirt at Hot Topic, though, and fans will have something to rejoice over as the series is coming back for one big TV movie event on Nickelodeon.
Invader Zim will be zipping back to Nickelodeon for a 90-minute movie, and the comeback project will feature the classic voices of Richard Horvitz (Zim), Rikki Simons (GIR), Andy Berman (Dib), and Melissa Fahn (Gaz). Fans will re-enter the world of a desperate Zim still trying to enslave humanity with his annoyingly cute robot, but we can probably expect some updates. For Nickelodeon, this will be the first time they've aired new content from Invader Zim since the series' brief revitalization in 2006. As far as the Invader Zim cast is concerned, however, this will be the first new adventure they've been a part of in about 15 years!
This Invader Zim revival is really a testament to the power of nostalgia and fandom in today's media. Back in its first airing, Invader Zim experienced such low ratings that Nickelodeon canceled the series before creators even had a chance to complete Season 2, and not even everything that was completed made it to air at the time. The remaining seven episodes aired years after their completion on the network in 2006. Those 27 episodes spurred DVD sales, clothes, toys, a comic book series, a convention, and Hulu streaming deal that held fans over for the decade it took to reach this point!
I'm sure there's more than a few of you who only vaguely remember Invader Zim, so here's a brief breakdown of the cult series. Zim is an alien who invades Earth in an attempt to win back the favor of the Irken race after humiliating himself on the field of battle. Once he arrives on Earth, Zim (aided by his goofy robot GIR) disguises himself as a child in order to learn more about humans so that he can destroy them. Zim's plans for destruction are often thwarted by his neighbor Dib, who is the only person suspicious that Zim is not human. It's unclear if the movie will pick up in the present day with all of these characters aged, or we'll just jump right back into where the series last left off. Don't expect answers from series creator Jhnonen Vasquez, who only seems to be throwing folks off the trail...
Did you expect the guy who created Invader Zim to be anything other than weird? Zim himself, actor Richard Horvitz, has confirmed the news, so I'll take that and the original report as proof that this is really happening. Invader Zim now joins the list of other Nicktoons set for a revival, with movies planned for Hey Arnold! and Rocko's Modern Life as well. Next thing you know, they'll start selling Gak in stores again!
Nickelodeon has not announced when Invader Zim will officially return, so be sure to keep an eye on our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere guide for any updates. It probably won't be on there anytime soon, mind you, but it's good practice for keeping up with all the shows you care about.
