Nickelodeon announced a sequel film to Zoey 101 in January 2023, 15 years after the series concluded its run on the network. Sherer and Whitby were hired to write the screenplay, and Hower was confirmed to be directing. Spears confirmed her return the same month, and also served as an executive producer of the film alongside Hower, Sherer, Whitby, and Alexis Fisher, while Nickelodeon live-action production heads Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin served as producers. Sanders, Flynn, Massey, Underwood, Wilde, and Salvatore Jr. were also confirmed to reprise their roles, while new cast members Thiele, Lennon, Geyer, and Bennett joined soon after.
Principal photography took place primarily in Wilmington, North Carolina. Roger Neill was hired to compose the film's incidental score.
Produced by Nickelodeon Movies and AwesomenessTV, Zoey 102 was released on Paramount+ on July 27, 2023.[3][4] It received mixed to positive reviews from critics and fans.[5] The film was the third most watched on Paramount+ in the U.S. and the second most watched in Canada one day after its release.[6][7]
Zoey Brooks, now a struggling, 32-year-old producer for a reality TV show called "LOVE: Fully Charged", is asked by her best friend, Quinn Pensky, to be the maid of honor at her and Logan Reese's wedding, which is on the same weekend as the season finale of Zoey's show. Zoey also has unresolved feelings for the best man, Chase Matthews, with whom she hasn’t had any contact since leaving him on a Hawaiian vacation after high school; Chase is now dating someone else. Zoey devises an elaborate plan to fulfill both commitments, hiring Todd Schupert, an actor who auditioned for "LOVE: Fully Charged," to pose as her boyfriend.
At the pre-wedding party, Zoey reunites with old friends. She sneaks away to help Jordan B., one of the finalists on her show, before returning to find Quinn hiding. Quinn admits that she feels uncomfortable with the wedding's size and opulence. The group goes to a karaoke bar, where a confrontation ensues between Todd and Chase, the latter insisting that he is over Zoey. The next day, Todd looks after Jordan while Zoey attends the wedding rehearsal, but Jordan gets amnesia from a head injury and forgets his lines for the finale. On the wedding day, Zoey goes to pick up the rings, and Chase accidentally joins her. They are distant at first, but after being pressured into kissing by the confused jewelers, they start to connect. Zoey apologizes to Chase for leaving him in Hawaii and the two admit to still having feelings for each other after all these years, and they share a more genuine kiss.
Zoey and Chase return to the wedding just in time for the ceremony and the finale. Zoey juggles her maid of honor duties and feeding lines to Jordan with her phone. While giving the welcome speech, Stacey receives a tip suggesting that Todd might be a serial killer whom she and Mark have been searching for. Amidst all the confusion, Zoey accidentally gives Jordan the wrong lines, ruining the finale. She then confesses that Todd is an actor and not her boyfriend. Quinn, upset with Zoey's dishonesty and Logan’s superficial obsession with making the wedding a spectacle, calls off the ceremony and leaves in tears, and a guilt-ridden Zoey is fired.
On the beach, Chase tells Zoey that he and his girlfriend had actually broken up two weeks before the wedding, and she only accompanied him so he would not be alone. Zoey has an idea and takes everyone back to Pacific Coast Academy, their old, now abandoned school, and they spruce it up. Logan apologizes to Quinn and takes her to PCA, where the gang has set up an informal wedding venue. After the ceremony, Zoey's boss calls her to say that the finale turned out to be a big success and offers her a promotion, which she accepts with some conditions. While dancing, she and Chase tell each other they love one another and share a kiss.
A mid-credits scene shows Todd putting a squirming bag into the trunk of his car, suggesting that Stacey and Mark's suspicions that he is the killer are correct.
On January 12, 2023, it was announced that a revival film for Zoey 101 was under production by Paramount+,[12] with Nancy Hower as director and a script written by Monica Sherer and Madeline Whitby.[13] Spears posted a photo on Instagram and revealed that she would reprise her role as Zoey, along with most of the cast as well.[14] In addition, it was announced that Spears would also serve as executive producer, along with Alexis Fisher, Hower, Sherer and Whitby,[13] while Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin would be producers.[15] In a statement, Spears said: "I'm beyond thrilled to be back alongside my PCA family and continue the story of Zoey and all the characters fans know and love. As an executive producer, it's been an exciting opportunity to work with such incredible talent as well as Paramount+ and Nickelodeon."[16] However, several cast members did not return for the film. For example, Paul Butcher, the actor who played Dustin in the series, did not return as he was focusing on TikTok.[17][18]Victoria Justice was offered the chance to reprise her role of Lola Martinez in the film, but she could not accept due to scheduling conflicts.[19]
Jamie Lynn Spears interviewed on the set of Zoey 102 in 2023.
After the film's release, the original series Zoey 101 was ranked on the Top 10 most watched television series list on Paramount+ in several countries.[25]
Reception
Decider recommended streaming the film and wrote in a positive review: "Zoey 102 is a predictable reboot and the plot kinda goes exactly where you think it will. That being said, it's an enjoyable ride that reflects who these characters might be in 2023, and the jokes and writing feel funny and current."[26]The New York Times wrote in a favorable review: "It's not an easy task to make a movie out of a kids’ show from a bygone era, but the film does a relatively smooth job of dipping into — but not overdoing — the nostalgia and retaining the lighthearted, wacky tone that was the show's signature. It helps that the cast members, now older, are better performers. Even if there's a ceiling to how much can be achieved here, returning fans wanting a reminder of their youths will get just enough of what they came for."[5] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it reported an approval rating of 56% based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[27]
On July 28, 2023, one day after the film's release, Zoey 102 was the third most watched film on Paramount+ in the United States and the second most watched in Canada.[6][7]
