Posted in: Cartoon Network, Max, TV | Tagged: cartoon network, max, season 7, totally spies

Totally Spies! Reboot "Replaced Us" Over Union Rates: Jennifer Hale

Original voice actor Jennifer Hale isn't returning for Totally Spies! Season 7 - apparently due to union rates: "I wish. They replaced us."

After six seasons and a prequel film that would run from 2001 to 2015, fans of the animated series Totally Spies! were probably surprised to hear the news back in April that French media company Banijay Kids & Family and Warner Bros. Discovery had finalized a deal to bring a seventh season of the French-Canadian animated series to Cartoon Network and Max (with the original run airing on ABC Family and then Cartoon Network). The series spotlights three teenage girls – Sam, Clover & Alex – as they look to balance surviving high school with actually surviving their "afterschool jobs" as secret agents for the World Organization of Human Protection (WOOHP). But while the return is being billed as "Season 7," the series will reboot the trio back to high school and living in a new city. And it won't feature a return from Jennifer Hale, who voiced Sam in the English version of the series. "I wish. They replaced us. I remember hearing that they didn't want to pay union rates," Hale tweeted in response to a fan who was hoping for Hale to return.

Hale was joined on the American voice cast by Andrea Baker (Clover), Katie Leigh (Alex: Seasons 1–2) & Katie Griffin (Seasons 3–6 ). On the French side, Claire Guyot voiced Sam – while Fily Keita voiced Clover, and Céline Mauge voiced Alex. Here's a look at Hale's tweet sharing the news that she would not be returning with the series:

"With strong female leads and an aesthetic that has inspired a generation, 'Totally Spies!' is an iconic show with a hugely passionate global fanbase, eager to join the agents on their latest adventures," shared Banijay Kids & Family CEO and producer Benoît Di Sabatino earlier this year when the news was first announced. "The new series stays true to all the key elements that make the show so popular but has been lovingly updated for a new audience, reflecting the modern challenges faced by both high schoolers and spies alike!" Based on what Hale had to share, it sounds like "stays true to all the key elements" doesn't include bringing back the original voice cast.

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