What Do The 'Hey Arnold!' Revival Pictures Reveal?

When the first announcement came at the end of 2015 that Nickelodeon is reviving Hey Arnold! for a full length movie, every '90s kid in the world went into full on nostalgic, celebration mode. And, now, we finally have our very first look at what the Hey Arnold! revival film might look like. In designs revealed at the Nickelodeon Comic-Con 2016 panel (which was celebrating 25 years of Nick Toons), fans were treated to a glimpse at main characters from the revival such as Arnold, Gerald and Helga and the images will make your nostalgia sky rocket.

The revival, which is titled Hey Arnold!: Jungle Movie, looks as though it's keeping to almost entirely the same vibe as the original series with only a few key character designs having been slightly adapted to fit modern trends. Though only two images were teased at the Nickelodeon panel, there was enough there to send my brain into overdrive — what do the Hey Arnold!: Jungle Movie pictures reveal about the movie?

Though everything can only be considered to be purely guess work at this point, the pictures do provide ample opportunity for some amateur sleuthing skills to be put to good use. Taking into consideration the history of the characters, their look in the revival, and the bare bones of plot line that we know about the film so far, I have so many questions about what everything could mean.

1. The Character's Iconic Looks Appear Modernized, Will Their Lifestyles Reflect That Too?

Whilst all the character's are still wearing their signature styles from the original series, there are a few notable differences. Arnold is now wearing a pretty slick looking bomber jack and a pair of trendy, red kicks, whilst Gerald is now donning a "33" hoodie rather than a jersey. With the fashion of the characters appearing to be more in line with contemporary trends, it seems safe to assume that the Hey Arnold! revival movie will be a truly modern take on the show, and that surely means that technology will also reflect that of this era.

Fans of Hey Arnold! will already be familiar with the fact that Arnold's bedroom was a treasure trove of fun technology. As well as having a snazzy remote control which commanded everything in his room, he also had access to his own computer (which was a big deal in the '90s), a trapdoor on the roof and a supremely cool collapsible couch. It seems fair to imagine that Arnold will still be a big gadget fan, and with all the fun technology currently available to us in 2016, it'll be interesting to see how that might impact on the movie. Will it be used to help Arnold locate his parents?

2. Is Helga Any Closer To Arnold Than She Used To Be?

As we all know, poor old Helga Pataki was mercilessly in love with the kid she called "Football Head." Though she could never show her true feelings to him, instead choosing a grumpy, passive aggression to conceal her passions, she made a habit of remaining close to him and even had a shrine to him in her bedroom. Judging from the revival picture, which shows Helga still continuing with her iconic scowl and losing her scoop of ice cream whilst Arnold and Gerald's remain in place, it seems like little has changed.

Her proximity to the two could imply that she could be closer to them both now than she was in the original series, and those ice creams that they're all holding could be very telling. After all, perhaps she bought them all ice cream out of kindness, or perhaps she's been spending so much time with the two best friends that one of them bought her a cone out of friendship? Or maybe, its same old Helga — she just happens to be right nearby Arnold's home at all times, whether she was invited or not.

3. Phoebe Heyerdahl Is Shown As Being A Main Character — Are Her Smarts Vital To The Plot?

In the original series, Phoebe was about as much of a main character as some of the rest of kids featured in the show. Though she was Helga's best friend, she always seemed like more of a side character than a main one. So, it's interesting that, in the main character line-up, she's listed as being a part of the core gang. Considering that the plot is said to be about Arnold finally finding some answers as to the whereabouts of his missing parents, it could be that Phoebe's character, who was always portrayed as being supremely smart, could be the one who helps to solve the mystery.

If, as I mentioned earlier, the show is going to continue it's love of gadgetry and use up-to-date modes of technology within the narrative, then Phoebe's smarts could easily be translated towards her using said technology to help discover the truth about Arnold's parents.

4. Are Gerald And Phoebe Going To Finally Become An Item?

Whilst Helga and Arnold are obviously the main crux of any romance (if you can even call it that) within Hey Arnold!, Phoebe's appearance within the main cast of characters could also imply a potentially very sweet romance. It was implied throughout Hey Arnold! that there may have been an inkling of romance between Gerald and Phoebe, so it could be the case that the two have them have started an adorable childhood romance together as a result. It would be way too cute if that's the case, you guys, and my little heart can barely take it.

5. Abner The Pig Is Returning, Will He Also Help To Find Arnold's Parents?

Abner was a wedding present to Arnold's parents, and, as such, the pet pig comes with a deep, sentimental connection. In the show, Abner is show as having a great talent for digging out truffles and as such, allow me to invite you to suspend all levels of disbelief in the spirit of cartoons everywhere by suggesting the following: that potbellied pig could help to snuffle out his parents whereabouts should the gang go on a wild adventure to find them. It isn't too insane to imagine, right?

6. Are Arnold's Parent's Still Secretly Working In A Jungle Somewhere?

Considering that the title of the revival is Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, it seems wise to assume that there could be an actual jungle involved somewhere in the story. Though it could refer to the idea of the concrete jungle of inner city life, I'd like to think that the unresolved questions pertaining to Arnold's parents could lead them to an actual jungle in order to find them.

In the heartbreaking Hey Arnold! episode "Parents Day," it was revealed that Arnold's parents were lost in the wilderness while performing a humanitarian task. Could it be that they were never actually lost? Perhaps they made a world-changing discovery that they had to sacrifice everything for in order to research? Or maybe only one parent got lost and the other has spent the rest of their life desperately searching for them? Either way, it seems like we're definitely leaving the concrete jungle for a real one.

7. Grandpa Phil Is Looking Ready For Action So Will He Be Joining The Gang For An Adventure?

In Hey Arnold!, the ever eccentric Grandpa was always full of beans, great advice and positivity (and some pretty insane stories worth scratching your head over). His outfit of choice was always a pair of trousers hoisted up to his armpits with a pair of braces and a white t-shirt. However, the revival line-up picture shows him looking a little more debonair. Wearing a smart looking jacket (with elbow patches, no less!), he looks like he's ready to go somewhere, explore a terrain, and enjoy a good old fashioned adventure with which to fuel yet another amazing story to retell to anyone who'll listen.

I'm so giddy with excitement, right now. And in the style of one Helga G. Pataki, I'm off to go top up the secret shrine to the show that I keep hidden in my closet whilst I eagerly await more details of the film to be unveiled.

Images: Nickelodeon (5); Giphy