Cartoon Network has spent decades creating some of the biggest animated franchises of all time. While most will start as television shows, many have had the unique distinction of becoming so big that they made the transition to episodic adventures to feature-length films. Franchises such as Regular Show, Steven Universe, The PowerPuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and Ben 10 have all had their universes expanded with cinematic adventures, even if they might not have hit the silver screen proper. In 2006, Codename: The Kids Next Door released its first movie, introducing the titular gang as they fought a wild new threat to themselves and the world at large.
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For those who might not know, Codename: The Kids Next Door’s first movie was “Operation Z.E.R.O.,” which didn’t just give the kids a bigger danger to their mission, but it also was a part of the show’s main continuity. Taking place after the events of the television show’s fourth season, during the events of season five, the young heroes find themselves facing off with “Grandfather.” While the Cartoon Network group would routinely take on adults to protect the world, perhaps their biggest villains were the “Delightful Children From Down The Lane,” who were akin to their “Bizarro-style” doppelgangers. With these nefarious evil-doers working in tandem with Father and Grandfather, the major movie was a great way to work with what had already been established in the Cartoon Network original.
Operation Z.E.R.O. Cannot Be Streamed, For Now
While you might not be able to watch Codename: Kids Next Door – Operation Z.E.R.O. at this moment, the entirety of the series is available to stream on Tubi. Luckily, this doesn’t mean that we’ll never see the first animated film on the platform. Beginning on September 1st, the Cartoon Cartoon original movie will land on the free streaming service, joining newcomers like Freakazoid, Mucha Lucha, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and more. With many of the Cartoon Network movies never having made their way to HBO Max when their respective series originally arrived, Tubi is making some dreams come true for fans.
For those hoping to one day see the “Kids” return, we have good news and bad news for you. On one hand, Cartoon Network hasn’t confirmed that they’ll ever bring back the animated series, despite seeing success with revival series for the likes of Regular Show, Adventure Time, and The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball. On the “good news” front, creator Mr. Warburton has long been trying to make a revival series happen. Titled Galactic Kids Next Door, the possible sequel series would take the children into outer space, with the animator so willing to make this show happen that he’s been touting the prospect of the show to fans both online and in real life.
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