Humans beware, Invader Zim is making a return. In a rare comeback that we actually want, the pint-sized alien is going to get a second shot at successfully enslaving humanity, with a new made for TV movie scheduled for release in the near future.
Invader Zim first aired on Nickelodeon back in 2001, swiftly winning critical acclaim and a legion of fans. However, the little alien invader’s time in the spotlight was tragically cut short when Nickelodeon canceled the show part way into its second season. The show was nominated for and won a number of awards including an Emmy for Kyle Meneke’s animation work. Its fanbase was so rabid that for Invader Zim‘s 10th anniversary, a special Zim-centric convention was held in Atlanta, attracting hundreds of fans. In short, the return of Invader Zim is a big deal for a lot of people.
This new 90-minute movie comes from the show’s creator, Jhonen Vasquez, and will reunite most of the original voice cast. Richard Horvitz as the titular Zim, Rikke Simons who voiced Zim’s robot sidekick/servant GIR will both return alongside Andy Berman and Melissa Fahn who play Zim’s foil Dib and his sister, Gaz.
In the show, Zim was a member of an alien race from the planet Irk. The Irkens value height above all else, so when Zim (a particularly small and clumsy member of his species) accidentally attacks his own planet, he’s banished to the world of Foodcourtia by The Tallest (Irkens co-leaders). Zim eventually ends up being given a mission to conquer Earth, but that’s more because his leaders want to get rid of him than any merit-based recruitment. The show was loved mainly for its unique humor, but the psychedelic animation style also won Zim a lot of fans, too.
Check out the announcement video for Invader Zim’s new movie below, and be sure to stay tuned for more details on the release date in the future.
