Nickelodeon Greenlights New Original TV Movie Called 'Rufus'

Watch Jace Norman in the New Nickelodeon Original Movie Rufus to Premiere in 2016.

The all-new 60 minute special will star Nickelodeon stars Jace Norman ("Henry Danger"), Haley Tju ("Bella and the Bulldogs") and Curtis Albright ("Liar, Liar, Vampire").

In "Rufus", Manny has moved to a new school, and it's not easy to fit in. After wishing he had more friends, Manny finds a mysterious collar and puts it on Rufus, the family dog. Suddenly, Rufus turns into a boy! Manny's not sure what to do, so he enrolls Rufus in school. When the other students notice Rufus's silly dog antics -- chasing squirrels, eating without utensils, asking for belly rubs, and catching a soccer ball with his mouth -- he immediately becomes the most popular kid around. Manny is jealous of his new best friend but eventually leans that a dog's loyalty to his owner always comes first.

Brec Bassinger ("Bella and the Bulldogs") and Rahart Adams ("Every Witch Way"). The movie has been written by Bill Motz and Bob Roth and is directed by Savage Steve Holland ("100 Things to Do Before High School", "Santa Hunters", "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide").

"Rufus" is currently in the pre-production stage and is slated to premiere on Nickelodeon in 2016.

Although currently unconfirmed, the movie is expected to be produced by Pacific Bay Entertainment.

According to IMDb, the current full cast of Nickelodeon's "Rufus" is:

Jace Norman as Rufus
Davis Cleveland ("Shake It Up!") as Manny
Haley Tju as Paige
Darien Provost ("A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!") as Devon
Lisa Durupt as Mom
Sidney Grigg as Samantha
Curtis Lum ("Supernatural") as Chang
Noel Johansen ("Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5") as Mr. Black
J. Alex Brinson ("Supernatural") as DJ
Yvonne Chapman as Shaydo
Paul Belsito as Dim Sum
Curtis Albright as Athlete

Source: Nickelodeon, NickALive, Instagram