The movie was initially conceived by Davis as Runaway Rocketboy!, featuring a character named Johnny Quasar. After being dormant for years, the concept was revamped into a computer-animated short and pitched to Nickelodeon, which led to the development of both a television series and a full-length film. Production for the movie commenced in early 2000 and took 24 months, significantly increasing staff and studio space. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was the first computer-animated movie to be created entirely with off-the-shelf animation programs, which included LightWave 3D and messiah:studio. DNA Productions, Davis' animation studio, handled the animation for the movie.
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius premiered at the Paramount studio lot on December 9, 2001, before being theatrically released in the United States on December 21 by Paramount Pictures. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $103 million against a budget of $25–30 million. It was nominated for the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 74th Academy Awards. It spawned an expanded franchise, including a television series, a spin-off series, video games, and a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida.