LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon announced today the start of production for a brand-new original TV movie, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, based on author Chris Grabenstein’s acclaimed children’s book of the same name about a group of friends whose overnight stay in their town’s new hi-tech library turns into a daring, dangerous adventure of escape. The 90-minute, live-action TV movie stars Breanna Yde (Nickelodeon’s School of Rock), Casey Simpson (Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn), Russell Roberts (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and newcomers AJ Rivera and Klarke Pipkin. Production is underway in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with a premiere set for 2017. The book, originally published in 2013 by Random House Children’s Books, boasts a 94-week run on the New York Times Best-Seller list.
“We cannot wait to bring author Chris Grabenstein’s imaginative world to life with kids’ favorite Nick stars at the center of all the fun,” said Michael Sammaciccia, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Nickelodeon Original Movies. “This is an epic, action adventure story that taps into every child’s passion for books, games and technology. It’s a movie for kids, families and teachers alike.”
Said Grabenstein, “I’m excited to see what Nickelodeon does with Mr. Lemoncello! So many kids, teachers, and librarians have been asking me, ‘Where’s the Lemoncello movie?’ Now I can tell them it will be on Nick!”
World-renowned gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello (Russell Roberts) has built his latest creation--a new state-of-the-art library filled with whimsical and eccentric rooms, where hardcover books fly kids to shelves in the sky, and massive doors open into fantastical worlds. Kyle Keeley, Lemoncello’s biggest fan, is chosen to be one of the first to experience the fun, along with his best friend Akimi, a bookworm named Sierra (Klarke Pipkin), a goofball named Peckelman (A.J. Luis Rivera Jr.), his rival Chiltington (Ty Nicolas Consiglio), and others. The kids must use their minds to complete riddles and collect clues that lead them out of this unique playground of imagination. When excitement turns to jeopardy, this world of wonder begins to spiral out of control as literary characters run amok and chaos ensues. It’s up to the kids to make everything right again or else they won’t be the only ones escaping.
Nickelodeon’s original TV movies are a key part of the network’s content mix, creating vehicles for Nick’s stars to be seen in new and different roles and stories. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library joins Nick’s original TV movie slate, which includes the highly anticipated Legends of the Hidden Temple, an action-adventure movie based on the network’s classic 90s game show, premiering in November; and Rufus 2, a sequel to Nick’s hit TV movie, featuring Henry Danger star Jace Norman and scheduled to air in 2017.
Join in on the adventure by using #Lemoncello and following @NickelodeonTV on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter for movie updates and sneak peeks.
Chris Grabenstein’s novels with Random House Children’s Books have more than one million copies in print and hundreds of weeks combined on the New York Times bestseller list. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library has spent nearly 100 weeks on the bestseller list, received nominations for 41 state award lists, and is published in 18 countries. Grabenstein's additional middle-grade novels include Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics, The Island of Dr. Libris, and the forthcoming WELCOME TO WONDERLAND: Home Sweet Motel.
Jim Head, Scott McAboy (Splitting Adam) and Michael Sammaciccia will serve as executive producers. Amy Sydorick will serve as producer. The TV movie was written by Brian Jarvis & Jim Freeman and Alex Reid, and will be directed by Scott McAboy.
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th 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 more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 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. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
