As Skibidi tries to become a Hollywood franchise, some fans want to #BringBoomBack

The biggest meme of 2023 is ready for its Hollywood close-up, but as Skibidi Toilet evolves into a full-fledged franchise, some of its devotees are wondering where (DaFuq) the brand’s creator has gone. Invisible Narratives, the company that is currently shepherding the Skibidi IP, has made a public response after fans inquired about the current role of Russian-born animator Alexey “Boom” Gerasimov.

Boom, as the creator of Skibidi Toilet is widely known, is one of the most unlikely success stories on a platform filled with unlikely success stories. He emerged out of obscurity to turn his YouTube home — titled DaFuq!?Boom! — into the most-watched channel on the platform. At the peak of Skibidi mania, Boom’s toilet-bodied characters (and their TV-headed rivals) were pulling nearly three billion views per month.

By the end of 2023, Skibidi was firmly ensconced at the apex of YouTube culture, and outside forces began swooping in. A 2024 partnership between Bonkers Toys and Invisible Narratives begat a line of bestselling toys. For the latter of those two companies, the retail push was just the beginning. Invisible Narratives is building a film and TV franchise based around Skibidi, with Hollywood blockbuster whisperer Michael Bay involved in the proceedings. The trailer for an upcoming spinoff with the subtitle Emergence recently dropped on the DaFuq!?Boom! YouTube hub.

Amid all of this excitement, there has been some confusion about Boom’s role. A widely-circulated tweet accused Invisible Narratives of pushing out Boom, and other fans questioned the sudden radio silence from a creator who had previously provided regular updates related to the Skibidi franchise. The hashtag #BringBoomBack is filled with missives from individuals who are worried about losing the soul of Skibidi.

In an attempt to quell the dissent, Invisible Narratives and Boom both provided statements to IGN. The studio confirmed that the original creator behind Skibidi has chosen to “step back” and give himself a much-needed break. Boom still has “an ongoing financial and creative stake in the franchise,” Invisible Narratives stated, but his new position will have him function more like an executive producer. He won’t be as active in Skibidi’s day-to-day operations or its communications with viewers, but he will still play a key creative role.

“I know some fans are worried about what this expansion of the series means. I ask you to trust the process,” Boom told IGN. “In my new role as executive producer, I’m still guiding the stories, characters, and the energy that make Skibidi what it is, but now I’ll have a larger support structure helping me bring it all to life. I built this world without a team, and you guys have taken it to a new level. Now, I get to have the support and resources to deliver more episodes, more characters, and more consistency, without losing the core of what started it all.”

With its connections to meme culture and its eclectic animation style, Skibidi has a chance to be the next Minecraft Movie once it arrives at the Hollywood box office. To reach that high potential, Invisible Narratives will have to contend with the franchise’s fanbase. We must keep in mind that Skibidi is a Gen Alpha cultural touchstone, and it’s probably that most of the people carping about Boom’s role are children. Can Invisible Narratives babysit the kids long enough to get its franchise up and running?

Even if Invisible Narratives can sell the course it’s setting for Skibidi, it will also have to endure the shifting winds of meme culture. Viewership on DaFuq!?Boom! is down from its 2023 peak, and Gen Alpha culture might just be moving too fast to make these toilet-headed characters into the next YouTube-to-Hollywood win. Time is of the essence — which is why Boom couldn’t tackle such a big animation project all on his own.