Axel Koestler for The New York Times
Lucas Cruikshank, better known as Fred Figglehorn to millions of YouTube viewers, is making “Fred: The Movie.”

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — It was a chilly day in this Los Angeles suburb, not the greatest weather for digging a hole, but Lucas Cruikshank had a movie to make. So he gamely picked up a shovel, stepped in front of the camera and broke into the caterwaul that has become catnip to millions of YouTube viewers.

Mr. Cruikshank, a 16-year-old from rural Nebraska, created the character — a tantrum-throwing 6-year-old named Fred Figglehorn whose voice is sped up to “chipmunk” levels— about four years ago. Since then, Fred has become a Web phenomenon, with some of Mr. Cruikshank’s YouTube videos generating more than 10 million hits. Over all his channel, youtube.com/user/Fred, has logged nearly 70 million views since 2005.

But can Fred carry a feature film?

Hollywood in recent years has raced to mine the Internet for raw talent capable of crossing over to traditional platforms like movies and television, the places where the real money is still made. Those efforts have largely failed. Another pair of YouTube sensations, Ryan Higa and Sean Fujiyoshi, tried with “Ryan and Sean’s Not So Excellent Adventure” last year, for instance, but it never took off. What works on the Web — rough-edged intimacy, quick bites — just doesn’t seem to translate onto bigger screens.

But the director-producer Brian Robbins (“Norbit,” “Varsity Blues”), United Talent Agency and a management company called the Collective are giving it a go with Mr. Cruikshank. “Fred: The Movie,” written by David A. Goodman, an executive producer of “Family Guy,” started filming in November for a 2010 release. Pixie Lott, a budding British singer and actress, is the co-star.

Mr. Robbins, whose television production credits include “Smallville,” and the Collective are financing the project with a budget in the low seven figures. Distribution plans are still unclear, but Jeremy Zimmer, a United Talent founding partner, said the agency would pursue a theatrical release or possibly a pay-per-view option.

The team has high expectations. “Given Fred’s audience on YouTube, could this be bigger than a heavyweight fight on pay-per-view? I think so,” Mr. Robbins said. Mr. Zimmer added, “It’s a kids’ comedy with a ton of presold value. Plus, Lucas will be able to pump the audience through YouTube.”

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