Internet Sensation 'Fred' to Star in Fred: The Movie; First of Its Kind Feature Film Is Set to Premiere on Nickelodeon

LOS ANGELES, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- "Fred" (a.k.a. "Fred Figglehorn"), one of the most popular internet characters of all time, will land on Nickelodeon in his first-ever feature film, Fred: The Movie, it was announced today at Nickelodeon's Los Angeles upfront presentation by Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTV Networks' Kids & Family Group.  Similar to real-life teenager Lucas Cruikshank's fast-talking, hyperactive YouTube videos that have received upwards of 500 million views, the film will center on Fred's latest adventure in trying to win over his unrequited love, Judy.  Fred: The Movie is produced by Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett of Varsity Pictures and Gary Binkow and Evan Weiss of The Collective.  Fred: The Movie is set to premiere later this year.

"Fred is a mega-star with our audience, and when Lucas's guest appearance on iCarly's 'iMeet Fred' last year drew such big numbers, we knew Nickelodeon was the perfect home for his first-ever movie," said Zarghami.  "We look forward to making this premiere a huge television event for kids."

"The popularity and reach of Fred is undeniable, and his internet success shows that audiences are always hungry for new and innovative entertainment," commented Robbins.  "This movie is a great new dimension to Lucas's amazing character, and we're thrilled that Nickelodeon is helping us make Fred's feature film debut."

"Our goal has been to bring Fred to both his loyal web fans and a wider film and television audience," said fellow producer Evan Weiss.  "Because of the unpredictable nature of the internet, we have moved quickly to capture the magic of Lucas' creation as a feature, and we're confident that Nickelodeon is the perfect platform to introduce this expanded cinematic rendering of the world of Fred."

Fred: The Movie, starring Cruikshank in the title role and featuring iCarly's Jennette McCurdy as Bertha, WWE's John Cena as Fred's dad and Siobhan Fallon as his mom, follows Fred after he discovers his long-time crush, Judy, played by British teen sensation Pixie Lott in her feature film debut, has moved away.  Fred embarks on a journey to find her, and when he does, he's devastated that he hasn't been invited to her party.  This blow fuels a grand scheme that ultimately makes Fred cooler than his classmates could ever imagine… and he may even get the girl.  The movie is directed by Clay Weiner and written by David A. Goodman (Family Guy).

Lukas Cruikshank first introduced Fred to YouTube audiences in 2008, and the Fred Channel soon became the fastest-growing channel in YouTube history.  Each short follows Fred as he deals with his crush Judy, his nemesis Kevin, and his inept mother.  While he may be socially awkward and emotionally immature, Fred's wild imagination and irrational approach to situations make him both hilarious and endearing to his audience.  Lucas Cruikshank made his TV debut as Fred Figglehorn in the hit series iCarly in 2009.  The episode, "iMeet Fred," drew 5.1 million total viewers (P2+) and averaged 10.0/2.1 million Kids 6-11, a 9.6/2.1 million Tweens 9-14, and 8.1/2.8 million Kids 2-11.  

About Brian Robbins/Varsity Pictures

Producer Brian Robbins, founder and president of Varsity Pictures, is one of entertainment's most prolific producers.  In features, Robbins has directed and/or produced films such as Disney's Wild Hogs, Dreamworks' Norbit, Paramount's Coach Carter, Disney's The Shaggy Dog, Sony's Radio, Paramount's Varsity Blues, and the upcoming Dreamworks movie, A Thousand Words, starring Eddie Murphy, which Robbins directed and produced.  Robbins is also responsible for numerous popular and critical television hits, including the long-running CW series Smallville and One Tree Hill, Disney Channel's series Sonny With A Chance and Spike TV's new original scripted comedy, Blue Mountain State.  Robbins was also the producing force behind series such as Nickelodeon's All That, WB's What I Like About You and HBO's Arli$$.

About The Collective

Producer/manager Michael Green founded The Collective in 2005 with a vision of creating a true 21st century management and production company. His model: a collaborative approach to generating unmatched opportunities for clients, creating a diverse and dynamic portfolio of assets and cultivating new avenues for the distribution of content that ultimately clients would be empowered to control.  The Collective has a staff of 60 employees, including some of the industry's most respected senior executives, who collectively pursue the company's primary objective – to provide the client with a single full-service, multi-media management and production company.   Under the leadership of CEO Michael Green The Collective has expanded into five divisions comprising feature film packaging, digital media, home entertainment, music, live entertainment, television production and the representation of clients including Martin Lawrence, Katt Williams, John Leguizamo, Eddie Izzard, Emile Hirsch, Lucas Cruikshank, Linkin Park, Slash, and Enrique Iglesias, among others.

Fred: The Movie was packaged by United Talent Agency which represents Cruikshank, Weiner, Goodman, Varsity Pictures and The Collective.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

*Images available upon request

SOURCE Nickelodeon