The CN Movie

The CN Movie is a 2022 live-action/animated adventure comedy film, making this film Cartoon Network Studios' first ever live-action theatrical film. The film is directed by James Bobin with writing alongside Nicholas Stoller, and Cartoon Network veteran John McIntyre. The film includes Will Arnett, Nathan Lane, Tina Fey, and Raven-Symoné as the supporting cast; with Jeremy Shada as Finn, Thurop Van Orman as Flapjack, and Asher Bishop (replacing Nicky Jones) as Chowder. The film takes place in November 2018 and the follows Finn reuniting with his old friends Flapjack and Chowder, and on the verge of getting back home after a little fiasco.

The film premiered on June 14, 2022, and was released on June 24, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures; 20 years after Cartoon Network Studios' first theatrical film The Powerpuff Girls Movie. The film has grossed $292 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics for its premise while praise was given to the animation, visual effects, and performances.

A spin-off television series, entitled The CN Show, is released on TBS on July 6, 2023.

Plot
Ever since 2010, Finn had been friends with Flapjack and Chowder. But when August came around, Chowder and Flapjack's shows were canceled, and Finn was upset that they were gone. Doing his show, he could barely take his mind off them to stay focused, but with help from his friends, he was able to stay on track. Fortunately, after eight years on the air, Finn felt glad to be part of the concluded shows. In the present day, Finn had explained his predicament to the other defunct shows in the studio, which leaves everybody in pity for him.

In Ooo, he; Jake; BMO; Bonnibel; Marceline; Simon; Phoebe; Lumpy Space Princess and Lady travel to Lady's barn to celebrate Jake and Lady's children's birthday. While there, he is less enthusiastic. After the party, Bonnibel comforts Finn and has a talk with him. Still on the fact that he and his friends were still not on speaking terms, she questions if he could just go over and meet them otherwise; giving Finn an epiphany: reunite with his old friends. As Finn sets off to reunite with his old friends, he has Marceline lie about his whereabouts until further notice.

Upon the reunion, they discuss about the two's decrease in popularity and recognition, so Finn decides to get them each a film as to re-introduce them to the public. Arriving at the Warner Bros. studio, they get thrown out by security. After many attempts of getting in, they disguise as their creators and claim that they want to pitch their idea for The CN Movie; in which works. Heading inside, they meet the receptionist to ask if they could see head executive for their request on giving Chowder and Flapjack their own movies, in which she declines due to their shows' declining qualities, followed by getting thrown out again. They sneak into the executive's office via transition flip and meet executive Dan Manson. Unfortunately, he forgoes their wish of giving them a movie despite being their biggest fan. However, he decides to give them a tour of the studio instead.

After the tour, Manson apologizes for their request but wishes them luck. Heading back, Flapjack gets distracted by a silver hood ornament on a moving taxi, and Finn and Chowder give chase. They follow the taxi all the way to Hollywood Burbank Airport. Finn reminds him that they need to get back to the studio. Before they could, Finn's backpack was taken into the cargo with the other luggage. The trio goes into the cargo hold to get his backpack, resulting in them being trapped inside along with the plane taking off. Meanwhile, back at the Cartoon Network studio, their friends are distraught and worried after discovering about the boys' absence; indicating that Marceline hadn't covered for Finn. Fortunately, they discover from Mandy that Finn, Flapjack and Chowder are aboard a plane out of the country, thanks to the Powerpuff Girls ' narrator deliberately explaining the plot point. In fear of losing each other all going, they choose volunteers to go out and find them; those being Mac and Bloo, CJ, Sadie, and Jeff due to knowing each of the three. Just so they don't get sidetracked, they bring a fourth-wall breaker to interact with the narrator, which ends up being Yumi.

Waking up, the boys get out and they find themselves in London, England. Unfamiliar with the country, they go around town to get help to get back to Burbank. However, they come across the arrival of Queen Elizabeth and notice the Queen's Guards, to which they harass, until angering one that chases after them. The trio hijacks one of the horses from the Queen's carriage to allude the Guard. After their escape, they travel through various traveling tactics via travel montage. Mac, Bloo, CJ, Sadie, and Jeff arrive in London, only to lose them. On a cruise ship, Yumi gets word from the narrator that they had left one hour ago and back to America, so the group ventures out to follow them. But before they could resume the search, the Los Angeles Police Department arrives and arrests CJ and Sadie for theft of the cruise ship they have commandeered (which was actually done by Mac and Bloo). In fear of losing the trio's trail, CJ suggests they resume their search without her and Sadie. Meanwhile, The boys, after realizing they had went the wrong way, find themselves in Madrid, Spain. They walk around the city in the meantime. Through guidance by the narrator, Jeff, Yumi, Mac and Bloo arrive in Madrid and follow suit.

With CJ and Sadie, they are sent to Arizona State Prison-Phoenix; as requested by Officer Jameson. Pressed for time (and Sadie's priorities on her show), they figure out a way to escape prison. Eavesdropping, an inmate named Jose helps them out: by faking their deaths; which was simply pretend their consumption of the prison's food they have for the next two days, then act like the food was poisonous to their digestive systems, followed by dying instantly. Going through their rehearsed plan, the watchguards buy their act and are buried outside the prison complex. Afterwards, they sneak off without drawing attention. Back in Madrid, the four discover that the boys have went into the Las Ventas arena. Not long after, Flapjack gets chased by a bull that noticed the red stripes on his shirt. As they arrive and find the three, Mac goes down and distracts the bull in order for the trio to escape. After reuniting with their respective friends, the six explain that the others are worried about where they are, so they must return to Burbank as soon as they can. Realizing CJ and Sadie are not with them, Chowder finds out their whereabouts and the gang heads off.

CJ and Sadie are currently in Oxford, Maryland, so to be as far away from the Arizona Police Department as possible. Not long after, the gang arrives and finds them (at a minimal amount of time). Unfortunately, they are found by the LAPD with the help of Jose, who would be given five years off his sentence. With a van, acquired by Mac and Bloo, they elude the police all over Oxford lose them in ongoing traffic. Arriving in New York, they take a transit bus after their van breaks down, but they lose Flapjack as a passing shiny car gets his attention, so Finn, Chowder, CJ, Sadie, Yumi and Jeff go to get him back. After chasing him around the city, they miss their transit bus, much to their dismay. Fortunately, Mac and Bloo have gotten a helicopter and the gang hops on the ladder. But their flight home is interrupted by a determined Jameson, who clings onto the bottom; weighing down the helicopter. Chowder slices the bottom half with his claws, dropping Jameson to the ground and having the gang fly off home.

Arriving to the studio, they find everyone outside and relieved that they have returned. Suddenly, Manson arrives after discovering the group in the helicopter. Manson came to tell them he was planning to call their studio for a one-year deal for a prime-time television series; to which they all accept. Their reunion is cut short when the police arrive and are about to arrest CJ and Sadie for escaping prison and resisting arrest, but they inform them that they were on a rescue mission for their friends; to which they get pardoned for their dutiful escapade, but are also given a warning. As the police leave, the characters rejoice and throw a celebratory dance party, with Marceline singing "Ultimate" by Lindsay Lohan.

In a mid-credits scene, All the cancelled/concluded show characters are back in the studio interacting with the current running show characters, as Finn calls it "under one roof". In a second mid-credits scene, Dexter introduces the Cartoon Network characters Cartoon Network City 2.0 which is a computer-animated city consisting their respective shows' locations akin to the 2004–2007 branding; the characters move into the city afterwards.

In a post-credits scene taking place in a white void, Marceline dances to Ke$ha's "Boogie Feet" and flies briefly during the song. The trio arrives and dances along with her, along with the other Cartoon Network characters joining in.

Cast
Additional voices include John DiMaggio as Jake and Schnitzel; Hynden Walch as Bonnibel Bubblegum; Olivia Olson as Marceline Abadeer; Jessica DiCicco as Phoebe; Pendleton Ward as Lumpy Space Princess; Dee Bradley Baker as Cinnamon Bun; Niki Yang as Lady and BMO; Brian Doyle-Murray as Captain K'nuckles; Roz Ryan as Bubbie and Cake; Jeff Bennett as Peppermint Larry, Johnny Bravo and Raj; Jackie Buscarino as Sally Syrup and Susan Strong; Dwight Schultz as Mung Daal; Tara Strong as Truffles, Ben Tennyson, and Bubbles; Liliana Mumy as Panini; J. G. Quintel as Mordecai; William Salyers as Rigby; Sam Marin as Benson and Muscle Man; Mark Hamill as Skips; Janie Haddad Tompkins as Margaret Smith; Minty Lewis as Eileen Roberts; Natalie Palamides (replacing Zach Callison) as Steven Quartz Universe; Estelle Swaray as Garnet; Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl; Tom Scharpling as Greg Universe; Shelby Rabara as Peridot; Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli; Spencer Rothbell as Clarence Wendle; Katie Crown as Mary Wendle and Ms. Baker; Eric Edelstein as Chad Caswell and Grizz; Candi Milo as Dexter, Coco and Madame Foster; Phil LaMarr as Wilt and Samurai Jack; Janice Kawaye as Ami Onuki, with the real Ami Onuki providing her singing voice; Roger Craig Smith as Thomas and Belson Noles, Pete Browngardt as Uncle Grandpa, and Courtenay Taylor as K.O.
 * Jeremy Shada as Finn, the main character of Adventure Time.
 * Thurop Van Orman as Flapjack, the titular character of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.
 * Asher Bishop as Chowder, the titular character of Chowder.
 * Chowder's original voice actor, Nicky Jones, makes a cameo as his original voice as to compare his current voice and regular voice to Finn and Flapjack. This is Jones' first time reprising his role as Chowder after 12 years prior to Chowder 's cancellation, and his first role to out of retirement in 2012.
 * Linda Cardellini as CJ, a supporting character of Regular Show after her debut in its third season.
 * Kate Micucci as Sadie Miller, a supporting character of Steven Universe.
 * Sean Giambrone as Jeff Randell, the tritagonist of Clarence.
 * Sean Marquette as Mac, the main protagonist of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
 * Keith Ferguson as Bloo, the deuteragonist of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
 * Grey Griffin as Yumi Yoshimura, the secondary titular character of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.
 * The actual Yumi Yoshimura of PUFFY provides her singing voice.
 * Griffin also provides the voices of Mandy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Frankie Foster from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
 * Tom Kenny as the narrator of The Powerpuff Girls, who narrates throughout the film, with Chowder and Yumi being the only ones throughout said film who can hear him.
 * Kenny also provides the voice of the Mayor from The Powerpuff Girls, Eduardo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Simon Petrikov from Adventure Time, and Sumo Sumouski from Clarence.

Cameos include Alex Walsh, Mumy, John Omohundro, Ian Jones-Quartey, and Strong as the Bravest Warriors characters.

Live-action cast
Cameos consists of Ron Perlman as the director of Friends with Benefits; Kathleen Turner, Timothy Dalton, and Wayne Knight as the Friends with Benefits cast; Bryce Dallas Howard as a woman carrying luggage; Dennis Haysbert as a news reporter; and John Oliver as a cruise ship captain. C. H. Greenblatt, Thurop Van Orman and Pendleton Ward also cameo as themselves as the trio's disguises.
 * Will Arnett as Dan Manson, a Warner Bros. executive who has been a fan of Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Adventure Time ever since. Arnett had narrated the Noods-era line-up, replacing Greg Cipes sometime later in 2008.
 * Nathan Lane as Andrew "Andy" Neilly, Warner Bros. vice-president and assistant to Manson.
 * Tina Fey as Sandra Alexander, receptionist at Warner Bros. Studios.
 * Raven-Symoné as Officer Abigail Jameson, police officer of the Los Angeles Police Department.
 * Danny Trejo as Jose, an inmate in Arizona State Prison-Phoenix who helps CJ and Sadie escape.
 * Tom Cavanagh as a security guard at the Warner Bros. Studios' front gate.
 * Jeff Bergman provides the voice.

Production
The film was supposed to have Thurop Van Orman (voice of Flapjack) as director before James Bobin was chosen. Don Burgess, who has collaborated with Bobin before, is hired as the cinematographer, replacing Matthew F. Leonetti. Steven Rasch was previously chosen to edit the film until being replaced by Michel Aller. The locations featured in the film are filmed in Burbank, California and in London, United Kingdom.

The animation for the Cartoon Network characters was done by Primal Screen, the network's long-time animation provider on its television bumpers. Live-action objects the characters had to interact with in the film were animated by Animal Logic, rather than strings or robotic arms to hold actual props. Animal Logic also provided the environment of Cartoon Network City 2.0 in the mid-credit scene.

The show characters chosen to be in the film are the ones only produced by Cartoon Network Studios, excluding of Ed, Edd n Eddy; as the show was produced by a.k.a. Cartoon; Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel; as they were produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, the Lego shows produced by Wil Film ApS and The Lego Group, as well as any one of the shows produced by Warner Bros. Animation; Hanna-Barbera; and DC Entertainment, along with any other acquired programing.

Marketing
The film's teaser was released on January 19, 2022 on the Warner Bros. Pictures YouTube channel, along with the second/final trailer revealed on March 15, 2022.

On January 26, several individual television advertisements were released in theaters; such as with Chowder in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finn in the Hogwarts Quiddich competition of Harry Potter, and Flapjack paired with Aquaman from the DC Extended Universe.

On February 13, the film was first promoted on television with a tie-in with Super Bowl Sunday, featuring characters from Chowder; The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack; Adventure Time; Regular Show; Steven Universe; Clarence; The Powerpuff Girls; Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends; Dexter's Laboratory; and OK K.O! Let's Be Heroes in a stadium seeing the football game. Cinemark promoted the film with a phone policy announcement on May 13; On June 2, Cartoon Planet was revived for the film's promotion, broadcasting a line of shows consisting of shows produced by Cartoon Network Studios. McDonald's released a line of six Happy Meal toys on June 4; and Cartoon Network showed promotional tie-ins on its network on June 17, consisting of bumpers with Finn, Flapjack and Chowder in a movie theater announcing the film. In addition, they host the entire line-up during intermissions between commercial breaks.

Theatrical
The CN Movie premiered in Los Angeles on June 14, 2022 and on its general release on June 24 in theaters in North America and Canada.

Home media
The CN Movie was released on digital on August 16, 2022, and on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on September 6. The Blu-ray and 4K releases include one individual episode from Chowder ("The Big Mixer"), The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack ("The Return of Sally Syrup"), and Adventure Time ("Burning Low").

Box office
The film had grossed $117.2 million in the United States and Canada, while grossing $194 million in other territories; thus grossing $292.5 million total.

In the United States and Canada, the film grossed around $30 million in its opening weekend, besting The Powerpuff Girls Movie 's $6.1 million on its opening weeking. It went on to gross $42.1 million on its second weekend. The film then grossed $23 million in its third weekend, making back $98.1 million from its $85 million budget. On its fourth weekend, it grossed $19.1 million; making it the second highest-grossing live-action animated hybrid film during the COVID-19 pandemic behind 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog ($319.7 million).

Critical response
Critical response aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 59% based on 84 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "Even though it has clever writing and great animation and succeeds on returning our favorite characters from our childhood, The CN Movie fails on a first impression by going on the Roger Rabbit and Muppets route." Metacritic gives the film scored a 51/100, indicating "mixed-or-average reviews". CinemaScore's review on the film is a "B" on its A+ to F scale.

Commercial reaction
Despite the mixed reviews, the film became a commercial success, which brought Cartoon Network to make shorts and specials of their defunct shows.

Video game
An endless running app game, titled CN Rush!, is where you can play as Chowder, Flapjack and Finn to run around various locations of classic and modern Cartoon Network shows such as The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Clarence, and ''OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes''.

The game was developed by Grumpyface Studios and released on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows on June 21, 2022.

Television series
The series was brought up after one of the co-writers had gotten inspiration from a MAD segment. Its genre was chosen as a mockumentary sitcom. The series is executive produced by Sam Register, executive producer of this film. The CN Show was released on July 6, 2023 on TBS.

Possible sequel
A sequel, under the working title CN World Tour, was briefly scrapped and to have Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly directing, with Nicholas Stoller returning as writer alongside Mike Cerrone as co-writer, including the score composed by Christophe Beck.

Its cast would be Walt Dohrn as Thaddeus "Thad" Peterson, a Cartoon Network aficionado who gets hired as the characters' manager and to overlook their routines and acts; Tembi Locke as Amanda Westmen, Thaddeus' assistant who is in charge of taking notes; Antonio Banderas as Pedro Raphael, leader of the world's most wanted crime team; Los Three Diables; Rob Riggle as Chuck Jameson, weapons specialist and superhacker in Pedro's team; and Tiffany Haddish as Abby Howard-Ester, Pedro's master-of-disguise and Chuck's lover; with cameos consisting of Zachary Levi who originally had the role of Neilly from the first film; Danny Trejo as Finn, Flapjack and Chowder's cellmate; and Rebel Wilson as herself in the New York broadway finale near the end of the film.

In the film, the Cartoon Network characters go around the world to preform certain acts on stage as a way to reintroduce the characters from the original shows on their behalf. Meanwhile, its subplot focuses on a team that is on the run from the law. Its protagonists were supposed to be Yumi Yoshimura from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Jeff Randell from Clarence, Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe, CJ from Regular Show, and Mac and Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.