Nickelodeon/Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins has been in the process of reinventing the company by investing in artists. He has bankrolled Tom Cruise with any project that risked death-defying stunts, then resurrected Oscar-winning franchises with Tony Scott’s Gladiator 2. Presently, he has been focused on Paramount Animation with the hit blockbuster Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The film’s success has prompted Paramount to invest in another best-selling superhero franchise.

The director-turned-CEO expressed that major studios’ passivity to only make sequels and overly familiar superhero movies has led to diminishing returns. While Paramount’s recent Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie only grossed $427 million, Robbins explained that result was due to the change in the Chinese marketplace because of current political tensions. This setback will not deter him from focusing on their big properties, especially within animation.

His faith in animated projects like Mutant Mayhem has been so sound that he has greenlit two seasons of a supplemental TV series that will connect to the Turtles universe. Paramount will also continue to focus on expanding rich brands in animation, like SpongeBob SquarePants and Avatar: The Last Airbender as the future of cinema continues to change. He ultimately disclosed that, “It’s not about Disney and Pixar anymore. People are looking for animated movies that are irreverent and have a comedic point of view.”

Robbins truly believes that the recent financial failures of Disney Animation are rooted in overly formulaic story structures which they used to pioneer at their peak. Despite the previous disregard for the superhero genre, Paramount will now be throwing their hat in the ring by adapting the popular children’s book series, “Superworld.”

Superworld: Save Noah is set in an alternate reality where all humans have received super powers after a mystical meteor crash landed on Earth. The only one who did not receive abilities is a precocious seven-year-old named Noah. Five years later, Noah becomes the reluctant hero as he must use his wits and resilience to stop a powerful super villain’s plot for world domination.

This adaptation will be directed by husband and wife duo, Yarrow and Carrie Cheney. The Cheneys have illustrious animation careers as they have been involved in classic animated movies such as The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002), The Lorax (2012) and the Despicable Me series. Yarrow would actually make his co-directorial debut with The Secret Life of Pets (2016), then solo direct Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Grinch (2018).

Robbins’ comments about Disney have been provocative as Paramount seeks to unseat Disney as the powerhouse of animation. Paramount Animation is looking to make their mark after the commercial and critical achievements of Mutant Mayhem. Next, they have the highly-anticipated Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie that releases this month. Followed by Transformers One starring Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Laurence Fishburne. Then, a Smurfs reboot and a new SpongeBob SquarePants sequel: The Search for SquarePants.
Will Superworld: Save Noah be the next big superhero franchise for Paramount Animation? Are you excited for any of their future projects?