Sponge on the Run
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''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' is a 2020 American live-action/
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
adventure
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
based on the
animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
''. Written and directed by series co-developer and former writer Tim Hill, who co-wrote the story with
Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger Jonathan Robert Aibel (born August 6, 1969 in Demarest, New Jersey) and Glenn Todd Berger (born August 26, 1969 in Smithtown, New York) are American screenwriters and producers, who are best known for writing the ''Kung Fu Panda'' movies, '' The ...
, it is the first film in the franchise to be fully animated in stylized CGI rather than traditional
2D animation Traditional animation (or classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation) is an animation technique in which each frame is drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant form of animation in cinema until computer animation. Proce ...
. The regular voice cast of the series reprise their respective roles from the series and the previous films, and the plot follows the origin of how
SpongeBob ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
met
Gary the Snail The characters in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' were created by artist, animator, and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character and his various f ...
, and SpongeBob's quest to rescue him after he is kidnapped. It is the third theatrical film based on the series, following the first in 2004 and second in 2015. The film is dedicated to creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in 2018, and also served as an executive producer on the project. The film was produced by Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, and United Plankton Pictures, with animation provided by
Mikros Image Mikros Image is a French company specializing in the creation of digital visual effects, post-production and animation. With studios in Paris, London, Brussels, Liege, and Montreal, the company was acquired by Technicolor SA in 2015. Portfolio ...
. Originally slated for a worldwide theatrical release by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, plans were changed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The film was released theatrically in Canada on August 14, 2020, digitally on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in other territories on November 5, 2020. It was released as a premium video-on-demand offering and a Paramount+ launch title in the United States on March 4, 2021. ''Sponge on the Run'' received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the animation and loyalty to the series. The film was nominated for Favorite Animated Movie at the
2022 Kids' Choice Awards The 35th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony was held on April 9, 2022, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California with Miranda Cosgrove and Rob Gronkowski serving as hosts. It aired live on Nickelodeon and in a domestic simulc ...
, but lost to ''
Encanto ''Encanto'' is a 2021 American computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 60th film produced by the studio, it was directed by Jared Bus ...
''. A fourth film is currently in development with a release date of May 23, 2025.


Plot

In Bikini Bottom,
Plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...
works on a new plan to steal the Krabby Patty formula while
Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
argues that
SpongeBob ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
is actually responsible for all his previous failures and not
Mr. Krabs Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy tel ...
. Meanwhile, in
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
, selfish ruler King
Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
uses up all the
slime Slime may refer to: Biology * Slime mold, a broad term often referring to roughly six groups of Eukaryotes * Biofilm, an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other and/or to a surface * Slimy (fish), also known as the pony ...
from his latest sea snail, which is necessary to maintain his appearance. Poseidon decrees the obtaining of a new snail, and Plankton kidnaps SpongeBob's pet snail
Gary Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Unit ...
so that SpongeBob will no longer interfere with his plans. The next morning, SpongeBob learns from
Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
that Gary was taken to Atlantic City. As part of his plan, Plankton offers Otto, a robot built by
Sandy Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Sandy (surname), a list of people *Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983) * (Sandy) ...
, to take them to the city with the hopes that they never return. Without SpongeBob cooking Krabby Patties, the Krusty Krab's enraged customers trash the restaurant despite Mr. Krabs and Squidward's efforts to stop them. Otto drives SpongeBob and Patrick to an old Western town where they meet a tumbleweed spirit named Sage. Sage reveals to SpongeBob and Patrick that they are dreaming, and must overcome a special mission to continue their search. He gives them a "Challenge Coin" that will give them bravery to enter into a tavern haunted by ghostly zombie pirates. SpongeBob and Patrick discover that the pirates' souls are trapped by an evil spirit known as "El Diablo", and decide to help free them. Diablo traps the duo in his office, where they accidentally disintegrate him. The pirates' souls are freed, and SpongeBob and Patrick are woken up by Otto. Now accompanied by Sage, SpongeBob discovers that as soon as Gary's slime runs out, Poseidon will have him enslaved with the rest of his previous snails. Arriving at Atlantic City, Sage warns the pair not to be distracted by the city's attractions, but they ignore his warnings. After a fun-filled night, SpongeBob and Patrick discover that they have lost the "Challenge Coin" that allowed them to be brave, but they nonetheless enter Poseidon's palace. When they try to take Gary, both are arrested and imprisoned in the dungeon. Back in Bikini Bottom, Plankton arrives at the Krusty Krab. Mr. Krabs willingly gives him the formula, feeling depressed without SpongeBob. However, seeing Mr. Krabs so upset makes Plankton feel guilty. Upon finding out that SpongeBob and Patrick will be executed in a luxury show in Poseidon's palace, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Sandy, and a redeemed Plankton decide to save them. In prison, Sage reveals to SpongeBob and Patrick that the "Challenge Coin" never had powers and that the bravery came from themselves. Before SpongeBob is executed, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Plankton, and Sandy burst into the show to testify in favor of SpongeBob. Along with Patrick, each recounts an experience they had with SpongeBob at a summer camp, earning the audience's gratitude. Afterwards, the group perform a musical number to distract Poseidon and take Gary. Poseidon realizes the distraction and orders his guards to capture the group. SpongeBob and his friends manage to escape the guards and head towards the exit, but are once again cornered when Otto leaves them behind. Poseidon offers to drop charges against the group on the condition that SpongeBob leaves gives Gary with him. SpongeBob refuses, arguing that his friends decided to rescue him even if they risked death. When Poseidon finds out that he has no friends and reveals that he needs the slime for his appearance, SpongeBob offers to be his friend. Poseidon removes all his arrangements and return to his true appearance. Everyone accepts his appearance, and Poseidon allows SpongeBob to take Gary back home. Poseidon releases all his enslaved snails to accompany them and Bikini Bottom ends up becoming a "sea snail refuge".


Cast

The series' regular voice cast reprised their roles for the film. * Tom Kenny as
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
and
Gary the Snail The characters in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' were created by artist, animator, and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character and his various f ...
**
Antonio Raul Corbo Antonio Raul Corbo is an American child actor known for his role as Nikolaj Boyle in the series '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine''. Biography He began his acting career in Austin, Texas at the age of 5. He auditioned and made several national commercials. ...
as Young SpongeBob *
Bill Fagerbakke William Fagerbakke ( ; born October 4, 1957) is an American actor. He voices Patrick Star in the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and played Michael "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom ''Coach''. He also appeared in 12 episodes of the sitco ...
as Patrick Star ** Jack Gore as Young Patrick * Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles ** Jason Maybaum as Young Squidward *
Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
as
Mr. Krabs Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy tel ...
* Mr. Lawrence as
Plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...
*
Jill Talley Jill Talley (born December 19, 1962) is an American actress and comedian. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', in which she voices Karen Plankton. Her other voice roles include Sarah Dubois on Adult Swim's ...
as
Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
* Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks ** Presley Williams as Young Sandy *
Mary Jo Catlett Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Bro ...
as
Mrs. Puff Mrs. Puff is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated series, animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and List of SpongeBob SquarePants films, all three films based on the franchise. Voiced by Mary Jo Catlett, Mrs. Puff debu ...
* Tim Hill as Documentary Narrator *
Matt Berry Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy series such as '' The IT Crowd'', ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', ''The Mighty Boosh'', ''Snuff Box'', ''What ...
as King Poseidon * Awkwafina as Otto *
Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...
as Sage *
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
as The Gambler *
Danny Trejo Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...
as El Diablo * Tiffany Haddish as Master of Ceremonies *
Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...
as Chancellor
Pearl Krabs Pearl Krabs is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. She is voiced by actress Lori Alan and first appeared in the season one episode " Squeaky Boots" on September 4, 1999. She was created ...
(voiced by Lori Alan) also appears in a deleted scene that is included on the film's Blu-Ray release.


Production


Development

In a February 2015 interview discussing '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water'' success at the box office, Megan Colligan, president of worldwide distribution and marketing at
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, stated the possibility of a third film was "a good bet." In another interview, Paramount vice-chairman Rob Moore remarked, "Hopefully, it won't take 10 years to make another film," in reference to the time passed between '' The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' (2004) and its 2015 sequel. Later in 2015, it was revealed that Paramount was developing sequels to its franchises, including another SpongeBob film. The film was initially scheduled for release in 2019, before being delayed to 2020. By January 2016,
Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger Jonathan Robert Aibel (born August 6, 1969 in Demarest, New Jersey) and Glenn Todd Berger (born August 26, 1969 in Smithtown, New York) are American screenwriters and producers, who are best known for writing the ''Kung Fu Panda'' movies, '' The ...
had been hired to write the film. In March 2017, Paramount president Marc Evans announced that the studio would work closely with
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
on its TV brands, including the SpongeBob film. During the same month,
Yahoo! Entertainment Yahoo!, once one of the most popular web sites in the United States, is as of September 2021 a content sub-division of the namesake company Yahoo Inc., owned by Apollo Global Management (90%) and Verizon Communications (10%). It has offered a wide ...
stated that the film would be titled ''The SpongeBob Movie''. In April 2018, the film's official title was revealed as ''The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge'', and ''SpongeBob'' co-developer Tim Hill was announced as director and writer for the film. It was reported later in the year that the film would be written by Aibel, Berger, and Michael Kvamme. The principal cast – Tom Kenny,
Bill Fagerbakke William Fagerbakke ( ; born October 4, 1957) is an American actor. He voices Patrick Star in the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and played Michael "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom ''Coach''. He also appeared in 12 episodes of the sitco ...
,
Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
, Mr. Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence,
Jill Talley Jill Talley (born December 19, 1962) is an American actress and comedian. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', in which she voices Karen Plankton. Her other voice roles include Sarah Dubois on Adult Swim's ...
,
Mary Jo Catlett Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Bro ...
, and Lori Alan – are all expected to reprise the roles as their respective characters from the series and the previous films. In October 2018, at the
VIEW Conference VIEW Conference is a computer graphics event in Italy and is held yearly in Turin, between October and November. Topics represented at the event include interactive techniques, digital cinema, 3D animation, gaming and VFX. The event spans several d ...
in
Turin, Italy Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
, Paramount Animation president Mireille Soria revealed the plot for the film. The same day, Hans Zimmer was announced as the composer for the film, while
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
-based
Mikros Image Mikros Image is a French company specializing in the creation of digital visual effects, post-production and animation. With studios in Paris, London, Brussels, Liege, and Montreal, the company was acquired by Technicolor SA in 2015. Portfolio ...
would handle animation for the film, which would be created entirely through
computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
. On June 12, 2019, it was announced that
Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...
and Awkwafina were added to the cast while Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman, who wrote a song for ''
The SpongeBob Musical ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical'' (originally titled ''The SpongeBob Musical'', later retitled as such for the national tour) is a stage musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by K ...
'', would be writing original songs for the film. It was also announced that
Mia Michaels Mia Michaels Melchiona (known professionally as Mia Michaels; born February 22, 1966) is an American choreographer and judge on the television show ''So You Think You Can Dance''. She has worked with Tom Cruise, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Madon ...
would be choreographing and Ali Dee Theodore would add an original song for the film. The next day,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
announced on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' that he would be in the film. On November 12, 2019, it was revealed that the film's title was changed from ''It's a Wonderful Sponge'' to ''Sponge on the Run'', along with the casting of
Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...
.


Filming

On January 22, 2019, it was confirmed that production on the film had officially begun. Like its predecessors, the film includes live-action sequences, and unlike the previous films, the animated sequences of the film are entirely computer-animated. Larry Fong was initially reported to serve as the film's
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
, but due to unknown reasons,
Peter Lyons Collister Peter Lyons Collister, A.S.C. (born March 9, 1956) is an American cinematographer and second unit director, known for his collaborations with directors Mike Mitchell, Tim Hill and Walt Becker. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently a mem ...
ended up solely with the credit.


Music


Soundtrack

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
released the film's soundtrack on March 5, 2021. Artists who are part of the original soundtrack include Tainy,
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...
,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
,
The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...
, and
Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...
. Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman also co-wrote the track "Secret to the Formula". Previous material that are part of the film but not on the soundtrack album are " Slow Ride" by Foghat, "
Dream Weaver "Dream Weaver" is a song by the American singer Gary Wright, released as the first single from his third studio album ''The Dream Weaver'' in December 1975. Origins and instrumentation The track features Wright on vocals and keyboards and Jim ...
" by Gary Wright, Weezer's cover of the
a-ha A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...
song "
Take On Me "Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was p ...
", and Kenny G's cover of " My Heart Will Go On" from the film ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''. The score for the film was composed by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro. It marks as Zimmer's the second score for a Nickelodeon film, following '' Rango'' (2011), and his second score for a film based on an animated series, after ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'' (2007)


Release


Theatrical and streaming

''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on February 9, 2019, by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
. It was then pushed back to August 2, 2019, before being delayed nearly a year to July 31, 2020. It was moved four more times: to July 17, 2020, May 22, 2020, July 31 (as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
), and finally August 7, 2020. In June 2020, it was announced that the film's theatrical release had been cancelled and it would instead be released through
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
and CBS All Access (now Paramount+) in early 2021. In December 2020, it was revealed that the film would be releasing in February 2021. On January 28, 2021, it was announced that the film would release on March 4, 2021, the same day CBS All Access rebranded as Paramount+. In addition to the ViacomCBS streaming service, the film was available on
Apple TV An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
,
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
,
Vudu Vudu is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand rentals and digital purchases of films, ...
, and other digital platforms. In July 2020,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
acquired international distribution rights to the film, excluding the United States, Canada, and China. On July 30, 2020, Paramount Pictures Canada announced that the film would be released in Canadian theaters on August 14, 2020. Between the Netflix and Paramount+ deals, Paramount recouped the entire production cost of the film. The film was released internationally on Netflix on November 5, 2020.


Home media

''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
and
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
on February 2, 2021 in Canada. In the United States, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 13, 2021.


Reception


Box office

In the film's debut Canadian weekend, it grossed $865,824 from 300 theaters. Since Canada's grosses are factored into American totals, ''Sponge on the Run'' finished first at the box office, and had the highest weekend total for a film since the start of the pandemic.
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
estimated that had the film had a traditional North American theatrical release it would have opened to $25–30 million, including a $3 million total from Canada. In its second weekend, despite being added to an additional 26 theaters, the film dropped 36% to $550,000, finishing second behind '' Unhinged''. In its third weekend the film made $400,000 from 314 theaters, then $345,000 in its fourth weekend, for a month-long running total of $3.6 million.


VOD rentals

In its first weekend of digital release in the United States, the film was the most rented title on
FandangoNow Vudu is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand rentals and digital purchases of films ...
, fourth on Google Play, and fifth on
Apple TV An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
.


Critical response

On
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, of critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads, "Although its story may leave fans on the surface, ''The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' is a wondrously wacky visit to Bikini Bottom that retains the charm of the original series." On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Writing for
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
, David Ehrlich gave the film a grade of B− and said, "Even the weakest bits get by on good vibes and meta-cleverness ( eanuReeves has become something of a human meme in recent years, but ''Sponge on the Run'' milks the actor's brand for a number of solid laughs), and the animation is detailed and inventive enough for the whole film to feel drenched in SpongeBob's demented energy." Writing for ''
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'',
Richard Crouse Richard Crouse (born May 26, 1963) is a Canadian film critic for CTV News Channel and CP24. Life and career He was the film critic for ''Canada AM'' from 2005 until the show's cancellation in 2016. He hosted ''In Short'' on Bravo, was the host ...
gave the film 3.5 stars and wrote: "''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' brings with it the usual anarchy, inside jokes and unexpected celebrity cameos, but at its little osmotic heart is SpongeBob, a character who belongs to the same genus of entertainers as Soupy Sales,
Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...
and Pee-wee Herman." ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''s David Rooney called the film "fast, fun, nddemented" and wrote: "The technological overhaul from 2D doesn't diminish the vibrant personalities of the character animation, and it's added an even trippier dimension to the surreal backgrounds. More immersive, if you will, even if its episodic action gets no prizes for storytelling discipline." Aparita Bhandari of ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' gave the film 1.5 out of 4 stars, writing: "I totally understand if the latest ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' movie spinoff will draw in longtime fans and new audiences brave enough to venture into a movie theatre this Friday... However, for me and my two kids (aged 10 and 8), this dive into the deep sea wasn't as thrilling an adventure as we'd hoped for."


Accolades

At the
19th Visual Effects Society Awards 19th Visual Effects Society Awards April 6, 2021 ---- Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: ''The Midnight Sky'' ---- Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode: ''The Mandalorian'' – The Marshal The 19th Visual Effects ...
the special effects team was nominated in the category "Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature". The film was nominated for four
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
in
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, one for Favorite Animated Movie and three for Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie: Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Awkwafina as Otto, and
Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...
as Sage.


Television spin-off

''Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years'' is a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' spin-off prequel series, based on the flashback scenes from ''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'', that introduces a 10-year-old SpongeBob at a summer sleepaway camp. On February 19, 2020, the official title was revealed, and it was announced that the series would be premiering in July 2020. The main series voice cast reprise their roles. On July 30, 2020, it was announced that the series would be released on CBS All Access, the ViacomCBS streaming service as it was known then, in early 2021. On January 28, 2021, it was announced that the first six episodes of the series would release on March 4, 2021, the same day as the release of ''Sponge on the Run''.


Future

On August 24, 2021, during a video interview with CEO of
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
, Brian Robbins, he mentioned that "a new ''SpongeBob'' sin the works" when discussing about the studio's film slate. The film was officially announced in February 2022, with plans for it to be released theatrically. On November 10, 2022, the fourth film was given a release date of May 23, 2025.


References


External links

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