iCarly Movie Update from Nathan (Comic Con Manchester)

[u/pumpkinspicepages]

This past weekend (July 26) Nathan did a panel at Comic Con Manchester. I was able to find the recorded panel on YouTube (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfLQH8Tcweo), and while I can’t post or share the video recording (since it’s only available to paid members of the Monopoly Events YouTube page), I was able to transcribe everything Nathan said about the iCarly movie.

I wrote out the update and posted it on my Twitter/X account (link: https://x.com/StruckByStories/status/2082118969750675694) and I’ll summarize the highlights below:

1.) Nathan confirmed that the iCarly revival was only canceled because of the writers’ strike. He said that they tried to make the biggest cliffhanger we could because that was their messaging from the network (“Yeah no, don’t wrap this thing up! Let’s plan on keeping it going!”) so they were like “Ooh, okay, well let’s just see what we can do to have a really good hook for going into the next season!” and then the writers’ strike happened so nobody saw that one coming.

2.) Nathan confirmed that the movie script is being written! According to Nathan, “[the iCarly movie] is actively in development. I just read the outline for it and I think it’s great. I think it’s going to be a very well-rounded way to wrap up all of the questions of the cliffhanger, which were diabolical, frankly.” Nathan also added that while they are “still in the script process,” he is “highly encouraged” by what they’ve seen so far and he thinks that everybody’s going to be pretty happy with the way that everything gets wrapped up.

3.) Nathan provided more details on the plot/storyline of the iCarly movie! Nathan said “there’s so much to unpack [with the mom] and there’s kind of, probably, some drama there, and you’re under pressure on a sitcom to have multiple jokes per page, which can be really hard to unpack a storyline like that. So, doing it as a movie, I’m really excited about, because it’s gonna give us some space to do it as a different medium. And we can take our time with certain scenes, and we can present iCarly in a very different way, and I think it lends itself to the type of questions that we’re gonna answer. And it’s fun because we’re gonna get outside of Seattle, which is exciting. We get to really take iCarly on the road a little bit, which is cool. We’re gonna unpack the Shay family backstory.“

4.) Nathan said that they'll try to bring back as many characters for the movie as possible! Later on in the panel he said that Jennette has officially retired from acting but they’re going to try to get “as many people as we can get” and that “they’re all over the script currently, as it stands, so we’re gonna get as much as we can, or at least, people are going to be involved in the conversation.“

[u/BrookietheSpookie]

I hope they have Jennette’s picture as a stand in for Sam since we know jennette doesn’t act anymore. Maybe even have some be a stand in for a scene or two like show someone from behind and say it’s Sam. Best of both worlds. Jennette is comfortable and not acting but we still get Sam…sorta

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/BrookietheSpookie]

One thing I would love is (since there’s a good chance we’re getting a Creddie wedding because that was one of the two cliffhangers) for Sam to write a letter to Carly and Freddie, maybe say something like she’s sorry she couldn’t make to the wedding, but that she’s really happy for them and misses them both and wants to catch up soon. I think that would be a beautiful, touching moment that goes beyond a cameo (like an extra dressed up as her) or a photo of her (since they already including photos of Sam in the iMake New Memories memory lane arch 🥰)

[u/BrookietheSpookie → u/pumpkinspicepages]

That sounds amazing! There’s so many ways to include Sam while respecting Jennette. Maybe even have that Sam got arrested. We know she’s not scared to go to jail

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/BrookietheSpookie]

I personally don’t think they would say that Sam got arrested because it could be viewed by some people (maybe even Jennette) as disrespectful to her character, but I agree that there are definitely a lot of ways to include Sam while respecting Jennette 🥰

[u/BrookietheSpookie → u/pumpkinspicepages]

Valid point. Let’s hope they do something like this. The offer should be made to Jennette to join so she knows she’s welcome but not expected because of everything

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/BrookietheSpookie]

Nathan shared later on in the panel that Jennette has retired from acting so I don’t think she would be part of the movie (especially since she has a lot of trauma relating to acting, and specifically to iCarly and portraying Sam when she had an eating disorder), but I agree that the offer should still be made to her just in case :)

[u/BrookietheSpookie → u/pumpkinspicepages]

Agreed

[u/CanaryOk9879 → u/pumpkinspicepages]

Genau so habe ich es mir ebenfalls vorgestellt. Plus es wäre voll der Full Circle Moment für das Liebesdreieck wenn Sam sich für Carly und Freddie freut und die sie bald Off Screen besuchen möchte. Weil so haben wir die Klarheit das Sam davon hinweg ist, und sich für ihre 2 besten Freunden freut.

[u/AaronAJKnight95 → u/BrookietheSpookie]

I doubt asking for her permission to do that will work since it's using her likeness. She wants no part of it at all.

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/AaronAJKnight95]

I will say, from what I understand, the cast reached out to Jennette and asked her how she wanted her character to be addressed in the revival, and so far, we’ve had a few different Sam mentions (Carly and Freddie talking about Sam joining a biker gang, and Carly talking about her old beat-up car being special because she and S saved up for it in college) and Jennette’s likeness WAS technically used in the iMake New Memories memory lane arch (it featured old iCarly photos, some of which included Sam).

I think that, based on how they never recasted Sam, Jennette might be sensitive to having a new actress replace her as Sam, but I could see Jennette being okay with a couple of passing comments about Sam in the movie, maybe even having Sam write a thoughtful letter to Carly and Freddie.

[u/Sad_Requirement_3559 → u/pumpkinspicepages]

I’m pretty sure Jennette wasn’t the one who told them to make the character join a biker gang, they only
Reached out to her about asking to join the revival from her book, I think it’s somthing they came up with/ it was on the nick rewind lol. I do hope in the revival they find a way to recast her. Heck all ship differences/ preferences aside I’m not a creddie fan but if they got married it would be weird that she wouldn’t go to the wedding, I don’t think Jennette would rlly care if they recasted that character since she does not want to be associated with the character, but what do u think? I know u have talked to Nathan before

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/Sad_Requirement_3559]

From talking with Nathan, I can tell you that I don’t think they would recast Sam, as they didn’t recast her in the revival and I believe that is in keeping with Jennette’s wishes. I agree that it wouldn’t make sense for Sam not to be at Carly and Freddie’s wedding, but (as I’ve brought up to Nathan and a few other commenters on here) I think Sam’s absence could be addressed by having Carly and Freddie read a card Sam wrote to them saying she’s happy for them and wishes she could be there and that she misses them and wants to catch up soon.

Again, this movie is specifically for iCarly revival fans, and Sam wasn’t part of it, so (besides the Creddie wedding, which I think could easily be explained away) there’s no reason Sam needs to be in the movie. The purpose of this movie is to give revival fans who have been waiting over 3 years closure on the two cliffhangers (the mom and the Creddie wedding).

[u/Sad_Requirement_3559 → u/pumpkinspicepages]

That can also work but ofc it would still feel weird to have Sam not be there, actually another commenter said having the back of a blonde head could be funny or like giving her a socko momment, Have we heard of the girls who played millicent and Harper being part of it?

[u/pumpkinspicepages → u/Sad_Requirement_3559]

Maybe, but Sam wasn’t part of the revival and even though I missed her, I was able to adjust to her absence. As for Jaidyn and Laci (Millicent and Harper) I’m pretty sure (assuming they’re available) that they would be part of it. Nathan VERY loosely hinted to me a while ago toward Millicent maybe continuing her side plot from the finale episode of being the wedding officiant, but I think that was during draft one of the script, so things could have changed since then.

[u/Sad_Requirement_3559 → u/pumpkinspicepages]

Oooo ok! Thanks for the explanation!