Cartoon Network Hit Getting a Movie and a Spinoff Show
Cartoon Network is investing big in its hit series Craig of the Creek, expanding the show into a whole franchise. The company announced that Craig of the Creek has officially been renewed for Season 5, and that a spinoff series and a movie are on the way, as well. This will expand the Creek Kids' territory even further into the world of streaming.
Craig of the Creek Season 4 is airing now, and its Season 5 renewal was announced alongside the midseason premiere. Season 5 will continue with the main trio of Craig (Philip Solomon), Kelsey (Noël Wells), and J.P. (H. Michael Croner), but at the same time Craig's little sister Jessica (Lucia Cunningham) will get a spinoff series. Jessica's Little Big World will be about her adventures in preschool and beyond. Meanwhile, Cartoon Network and WarnerMedia also announced Craig of the Creek: The Movie, which will reportedly serve as an origin story for Craig and his friends as well as the fantastical world they inhabit.
These spinoffs will spread the Creek Kids out a bit among Cartoon Network's platforms and programming blocks. The origin story movie will get a simultaneous premiere on Cartoon Network's cable channel and on the HBO Max streaming app. Craig of the Creek Season 4 will also premiere on HBO Max shortly after its conclusion this week on Thursday, Feb. 17, signaling that streaming is an important part of this planned franchise.
Jessica's Little Big World will premiere in Cartoon Network's "Cartoonito" programming block – an addition that kicked off in September of 2021 to target younger viewers with wholesome, educational content. Accordingly, Jessica's Little Big World will reportedly deal with themes that the creators hope will help its audience in the growing process. Writer, director, artist and voice actor Tiffany Ford will serve as a co-creator and the executive producer of Jessica's Little Big World.
"In Craig of the Creek, [co-creators] Matt Burnett, Ben Levin, [writer and director] Tiffany Ford, and the entire crew created a charming, imaginative, and inclusive world that represents the best in kids animation," said Cartoon Network Studios president Sam Register alongside the announcement. "We could not ask for a better foundation as we expand the stories of the Creek into preschool and long-form projects ensuring that Craig of the Creek is well on its way to becoming our studio's next big kids franchise."
Warner Bros. executive Amy Friedman added: "Since its debut, Craig of the Creek has been an instant audience favorite, capturing the joy of being a kid along with the humor and heart of family life. We are so thrilled with how Cartoon Network Studios has opened up Craig's world and that his hilarious little sister Jessica, a breakout character, will now have her own show!"
While there are three new Craig of the Creek productions in the works, sadly all three are slated to premiere in 2023, so it will be a while before viewers can go back to the creek themselves. Craig of the Creek is streaming now on HBO Max, with Season 4 joining the platform on Thursday. Season 5 is expected to premiere sometime in 2023 along with Craig of the Creek: The Movie and Jessica's Little Big World.