The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a 2004 American animated adventure comedy film based on the television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by series creator Stephen Hillenburg<ref name=AFI>Template:Cite web</ref> and features the series' regular voice cast consisting of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, and Mary Jo Catlett. Guest stars Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeffrey Tambor voice new characters, and David Hasselhoff appears in live-action as himself. In the film, Plankton enacts a plan to discredit his business nemesis Mr. Krabs, steal the Krabby Patty secret formula and take over the world by stealing King Neptune's crown and framing Mr. Krabs for the crime. SpongeBob and Patrick team up to retrieve the crown from Shell City to save Mr. Krabs from Neptune's wrath and save Bikini Bottom from Plankton's rule.

Hillenburg accepted an offer for a film adaptation of SpongeBob SquarePants from Paramount Pictures in 2002, after turning it down multiple times the previous year. He assembled a team from the show's writing staff, including himself, Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, and Paul Tibbitt, and structured the film as a mythical hero's journey that would bring SpongeBob and Patrick to the surface. Originally intended to be the series finale of the show, the film marked the last time Hillenburg was showrunner before Tibbitt took his place for over a decade.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie premiered in Los Angeles on November 14, 2004, and was released in the United States on November 19 by Paramount Pictures. It received generally positive reviews and grossed $141 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. It is the first in a series of SpongeBob films, including The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). A fourth film, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2025.

Plot

Mr. Krabs opens a second location of the Krusty Krab, right next to the original. His fry cook, SpongeBob SquarePants, hopes to be promoted to manager of the new restaurant, but Krabs instead selects his co-worker, Squidward Tentacles, explaining to SpongeBob that he is a "kid" who is too immature to handle the position. Depressed, SpongeBob goes to the Goofy Goober ice cream parlor, where he and his best friend Patrick Star indulge themselves with ice cream and wake up the following morning with a hangover.

Krabs' rival Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket restaurant, initiates "Plan Z" in an attempt to obtain the Krabby Patty secret formula and take over the world. He steals King Neptune's crown, sends it to Shell City, and frames Krabs for the crime. Neptune confronts Krabs about his stolen crown and is convinced of Krabs' guilt when a hungover SpongeBob smears him. Recovering from his hangover, SpongeBob promises Neptune that he will retrieve the crown from Shell City. Neptune then freezes Krabs and tells SpongeBob to return within six days or his boss will be executed. Neptune's daughter, Mindy, encourages SpongeBob and Patrick, but she warns them of dangers surrounding Shell City, including "the Cyclops", a monster who kidnaps sea creatures.

SpongeBob and Patrick head for Shell City in the Patty Wagon, a Krabby Patty-shaped car stored underneath the restaurant. After the duo leave Bikini Bottom, Plankton steals the formula from the frozen Krabs and uses it to sell Krabby Patties. He distributes free helmets with the Krabby Patties that brainwash customers into doing Plankton's bidding, subsequently taking over Bikini Bottom and hiring a hitman named Dennis to prevent SpongeBob and Patrick from returning with the crown.

After encountering a few obstacles, SpongeBob and Patrick end up losing the Patty Wagon, and contemplate giving up. Mindy appears and encourages them by applying fake mustaches made of seaweed, convincing them that she magically turned them from kids into men. Armed with newfound confidence, the two successfully traverse the trench and encounter Dennis on the other side, who demonstrates that the mustaches are fake and prepares to kill them, but is intercepted by the "Cyclops", a human diver, who abducts SpongeBob and Patrick.

The duo are placed under a heat lamp by the Cyclops, learning that they have arrived in Shell City, which turns out to actually be a gift shop selling dried sea creatures. Proud that they reached their destination, they shed tears just before drying up, which short-circuit the lamp and activate the emergency sprinklers, reviving the two alongside the dried sea creatures. While the sea creatures attack the Cyclops, SpongeBob and Patrick take the crown to the beach, where David Hasselhoff offers them a ride home. Dennis catches up and fights them on Hasselhoff's back, ultimately falling back into the sea as Hasselhoff passes under a catamaran.

Neptune arrives to execute Krabs, but SpongeBob and Patrick return with the crown just in time. Plankton drops a mind-control helmet on Neptune and surrounds SpongeBob, Patrick and Mindy with his army of slaves, but SpongeBob, embracing the fact that he's accomplished so much despite being a kid, uses the power of rock and roll to free Neptune and the citizens of Bikini Bottom from Plankton's control. As Plankton is arrested by the police, Neptune unfreezes Krabs, who then appoints SpongeBob as the manager of the Krusty Krab 2.

Cast

Other characters from the television series also appear in the film, including Pearl Krabs, voiced by Lori Alan. Other supporting voice actors include Carlos Alazraqui, Dee Bradley Baker, Sirena Irwin, Thomas F. Wilson, and Joshua Seth.

Aaron Hendry portrays the Cyclops physically while Neil Ross provides the character's voice. In a post-credits scene, Mageina Tovah portrays a theater usher.

Crew members Derek Drymon, Stephen Hillenburg, and Aaron Springer make vocal cameo appearances.

Production

Development

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was long-planned;<ref name="RDS" /> Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures had approached series creator Stephen Hillenburg for a film based on SpongeBob SquarePants, but he refused for more than a year.<ref name=Edel1>Template:Cite news</ref> Hillenburg was concerned, after watching The Iron Giant and Toy Story with his son, about the challenge of SpongeBob and Patrick doing something more cinematically consequential and inspiring without losing what he called the SpongeBob "cadence".<ref name=Edel1/> Hillenburg believed that the film's story "had to be SpongeBob in a great adventure. That's where the comedy's coming from, having these two naïve characters, SpongeBob and Patrick, a doofus and an idiot, on this incredibly dangerous heroic odyssey with all the odds against them."<ref name=Edel1/>

I never wanted to do a movie because I didn't think that what we wanted to say needed to be in a movie. I like the short form for animation. Then this story idea came up that lent itself to a longer format. You can't do a road trip adventure in a short form.

— Stephen Hillenburg<ref name=EVT/>

In 2002, Hillenburg and the show's staff stopped making episodes to work on the film after the show's third season was completed.<ref name=EVT>Template:Cite news</ref> When news of production on the film was announced, the show's staff made a joke plot for the film which had SpongeBob rescue Patrick from a fisherman in Florida;<ref name=EVT/> a reference to the plot of Finding Nemo.<ref name=EVT/> Hillenburg directed and produced the film, and also co-wrote the screenplay with five other writer-animators from the show (Paul Tibbitt, Derek Drymon, Aaron Springer, Kent Osborne, and Tim Hill) over a three-month period in a room of a former Glendale, California bank.<ref name="Edel1" /> At the beginning of the series, Hillenburg screened a number of silent shorts (from Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton) and work by two modern comic actors: Jerry Lewis and Pee-wee Herman, both obvious inspirations for SpongeBob.<ref name=Edel2>Template:Cite news</ref> For the film, the writers created a mythical hero's quest: the search for a stolen crown, which brings SpongeBob and Patrick to the surface.<ref name=Edel2/> Bill Fagerbakke (the voice of Patrick) said about the plot, "It's just nuts. I'm continually dazzled and delighted with what these guys came up with."<ref name=AbsorbingTales/>

When the film was completed, Hillenburg wanted to end the series "so it wouldn't jump the shark", citing concerns among Nickelodeon executives that the show "had peaked". However, Nickelodeon could not afford to end the show due to its massive financial success.<ref name=OralHistory/><ref name="Movie series ending">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result, Hillenburg resigned as the series' showrunner,<ref name=Huffington/> appointing writer, director, and storyboard artist Paul Tibbitt to succeed him, as Tibbitt was one of Hillenburg's favorite crew members and was "totally trusted".<ref name=Tibbitt>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite video</ref><ref name=Childhood>Template:Cite news</ref> Tibbitt would remain showrunner until he was succeeded in 2015 by the show's creative director Vincent Waller and staff writer Marc Ceccarelli. He also acted as an executive producer from 2008 to 2018.<ref name=Tibbitt/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While Hillenburg was no longer involved in the writing process or directly overall running the show on a day-to-day basis, he reviewed each episode and submitted suggestions: "I figure when I'm pretty old I can still paint I don't know about running shows."<ref name=Huffington>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, Hillenburg returned to the show following the completion of the second film as an executive producer, having greater creative input and attending crew meetings until his death on November 26, 2018.<ref name="Variety death.">Template:Cite web</ref>

The film was dedicated to Jules Engel, Hillenburg's mentor when he studied experimental animation at the California Institute of the Arts, who died in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref name=Thoughts>Template:Cite web</ref>

Casting

Template:See also The film stars the series' main cast members: Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail, and the French Narrator, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Mr. Lawrence as Plankton, Jill Talley as Karen, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks, Mary Jo Catlett as Mrs. Puff, and Lori Alan as Pearl Krabs. It also features Dee Bradley Baker as Perch Perkins, Carlos Alazraqui as King Neptune's squire, Aaron Hendry as the Cyclops, and Neil Ross as the voice of the Cyclops. In addition to the series' cast, the film stars Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Tambor, and Alec Baldwin who voice Princess Mindy, King Neptune, and Dennis, respectively, with a cameo appearance by David Hasselhoff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Cast1>Template:Cite web</ref>

Johansson accepted the role because she liked cartoons and was a fan of The Ren & Stimpy Show.<ref name=SW>Template:Cite magazine</ref> When Tambor signed for his voice cameo, he noted the similarities between himself and the character King Neptune, including the fact that he himself is bald.<ref name=SW/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Stephen Hillenburg said that Baldwin recorded his character Dennis from New York over the phone.<ref name=SW/>

Hasselhoff accepted the role when his daughters, Taylor-Ann and Hayley, urged him as the two were big fans of the show.<ref name=Hasselhoff2>Template:Cite web</ref> Hasselhoff enjoyed his cameo, noting that to this day, kids would still recognize him from his cameo in the film, adding that they "didn't see Baywatch and Knight Rider".<ref name=Hasselhoff2/>

Animation

There were a number of stages involved in the making of the film, beginning with a rough animation process of ideas drawn on Post-it notes.<ref name=InsidePineapple/> The writers drew, working from rough outlines rather than scripts (which made the humor more visual than verbal).<ref name=Edel2/> The storyboard artists, including Sherm Cohen, then illustrated ideas conceived by the writers.<ref name=AbsorbingTales/> In the series Tom Yasumi and Andrew Overtoom do the animatics, but Hillenburg and Drymon did the animatics for the film.<ref name=Overtoom>Template:Cite web</ref> Yasumi and Overtoom were the film's animation-timing directors, concentrating on the sheets.<ref name=Overtoom/> The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, like the series, was animated at Rough Draft Studios in South Korea.<ref name=RDS>Template:Cite web</ref> The animators worked semi-digitally with pencil-drawn poses that would be composited into layouts in Photoshop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Series writer and storyboard artist Erik Wiese returned to do storyboards and character layout for the film, after leaving the show for a year to work on Samurai Jack and Danny Phantom.<ref name=OralHistory/> He "always wanted to be a feature animator, and the movie felt like I was on the character animation end", describing the experience as "a blast it felt like coming home."<ref name=OralHistory/>

Hillenburg enjoyed the process of making the film:<ref name=EVT/> "The TV schedule is tight, and you don't always have a lot of time to work on your drawings."<ref name=EVT/> He appreciated the film's hand-drawn animation: "I think the movie's drawings are much superior than the TV show", although CGI animation was flourishing at the time of the film's release.<ref name=EVT/> "There's a lot of talk about 2-D being dead, and I hope people don't think that. Even Brad Bird is a proponent of 2-D. He would agree with me that it's all about what you're trying to say. There are many ways to tell a story, and what's unique about animation is that there are many styles with which to tell a story."<ref name=EVT/> The clay animation scenes were shot by Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh, and Chris Finnegan at Screen Novelties in Los Angeles.<ref name=Thoughts/>

Filming

The film features live-action scenes directed by Mark Osborne in Santa Monica, California.<ref name=AbsorbingTales>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2005.</ref><ref name=Replica1/> The ship used during the 30-second opening featuring the pirates singing the theme song was the Bounty,<ref name=Bounty1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Template:Convert-long, enlarged reconstruction of the 1787 Royal Navy sailing ship HMS Bounty built for Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). The ship appeared in a number of other films, including Treasure Island (1999), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In film trailers, live-action scenes were taken from Das Boot (1981), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and U-571 (2000).<ref name=EVT/>

Man working on oversized replica of a smiling man

The crew built a larger-than-life replica of David Hasselhoff as his double in filming the fight scene with Dennis.

David Hasselhoff made a cameo in the live-action scenes, offering SpongeBob and Patrick a ride to Bikini Bottom.<ref name=LAS1>Template:Cite web</ref> The scene was originally written before consulting Hasselhoff.<ref name=10Secrets1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=10Secrets2>Template:Cite web</ref> Hillenburg was pleased with the storyboards;<ref name=OralHistory/> Lead storyboard artist Sherm Cohen said, "He had been wrestling with the ending for quite a while, and finally he was ready to pitch his ideas to some of the other board artists."<ref name=OralHistory/> Hillenburg was counting on casting Hasselhoff, and the first question he asked him was "So, do we have Hasselhoff?"<ref name=OralHistory/> He replied "No", with a grin.<ref name=OralHistory/> Hasselhoff eventually agreed, before seeing the script.<ref name=10Secrets1/><ref name=10Secrets2/> Hillenburg said about the actor, "He's a great guy. ... He was great at making fun of himself."<ref name=10Secrets1/><ref name=10Secrets2/>

The crew built a Template:Convert, Template:Convert replica of Hasselhoff.<ref name=Replica1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=LAS1/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The $100,000 replica was kept at Hasselhoff's home after completion of filming;<ref name=LAS2>Template:Cite web</ref> he has said, "It freaked me out because it was so lifelike, with teeth, when you touch it it feels like real skin."<ref name=LAS2/> Hasselhoff filmed in cold water, where he was pulled by a sled nine yards across the sea.<ref name=AbsorbingTales/><ref name=LAS1/><ref name=InsidePineapple>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Inside the Pineapple. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2005.</ref>

In late March 2014, Hasselhoff offered the replica up for auction with other memorabilia collected during his career. Julien's Auctions handled the item's sale, which was expected to bring in between $20,000 and $30,000. Ultimately, Hasselhoff pulled the item, just a few days before the auction.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deleted scenes

Sitting squirrel and pencil sketch

Animatic of deleted scene, with SpongeBob and Patrick (right) encountering Sandy Cheeks (left) on the surface

The DVD and Blu-ray releases include animatics of deleted scenes from the film, including SpongeBob and Patrick's meeting with Sandy Cheeks (a squirrel) on the surface after they escape from Shell City.<ref name=DeletedScenes>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2005.</ref> Patrick repeatedly vomits, upset by Sandy's unusual appearance.<ref name=DeletedScenes/> Sandy is pursued by black-suited exterminators,<ref name=DeletedScenes/> and defends herself with acorns.<ref name=DeletedScenes/> She informs SpongeBob and Patrick that they can return to Bikini Bottom by taking a bus at the beach.<ref name=DeletedScenes/> This idea was later used for the second film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015), where Sandy became a giant realistic squirrel.

In 2013, the film's lead storyboard artist, Sherm Cohen, released a storyboard panel of a deleted scene from the film with SpongeBob awakening from his dream saying "WEEEEE!" and Mr. Krabs holding a manager's hat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soundtrack

Template:See also Gregor Narholz composed the score for the film,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> conducting the recording sessions with the London Metropolitan Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Narholz was signed when series music editor Nick Carr recommended him to Hillenburg after they worked together at Associated Production Music.<ref name=OralHistory>Template:Cite web</ref> Narholz was honored at the 2005 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards for his work on the film,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and received a nomination for Music in an Animated Feature Production at the 32nd Annie Awards.<ref name="AnnieMovie">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Two guitarists (one singing) and a drummer onstage

The Flaming Lips recorded "SpongeBob & Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy".

American rock band The Flaming Lips recorded "SpongeBob And Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy".<ref name=TFL1>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=WilcoLips>Template:Cite web</ref> They shot the song's music video, directed by band member Wayne Coyne and filmmaker Bradley Beesley, in Austin, Texas.<ref name=TFL1/> Coyne said, "Stephen Hillenburg seems to be a fan of the weirder music of the late '80s and early '90s. He wanted to evoke the music he got turned onto back then."<ref name=TFL1/> Coyne suggested a duet with Justin Timberlake, but Hillenburg refused,<ref name=Wierdo>Template:Cite web</ref> not wanting any of "those sort of commercial weirdos" in the soundtrack, preferring to stick with the music he liked.<ref name=Wierdo/> American band Wilco wrote and recorded "Just a Kid".<ref name=WilcoLips/><ref name=Wilco>Template:Cite magazine</ref> One of the film's producers contacted frontman Jeff Tweedy after seeing a SpongeBob air freshener hanging from Tweedy's rearview mirror in I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco (2002).<ref name=Wilco/> Tweedy could not pass up the opportunity to take part in the soundtrack, noting that he "fell in love with SpongeBob when [Tweedy] heard him describe the darkness at the bottom of the sea as 'advanced darkness'."<ref name=Wilco/> Avril Lavigne recorded the series' theme for the soundtrack.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other artists contributing to the soundtrack were Motörhead, singing "You Better Swim" (a derivative of their 1992 song "You Better Run");<ref name=MTV>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prince Paul ("Prince Paul's Bubble Party");<ref name=MTV/> Ween ("Ocean Man"),<ref name=MTV/> and the Shins ("They'll Soon Discover", partially written in 2001).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

"The Best Day Ever", written by Tom Kenny (SpongeBob's voice actor) and Andy Paley, was featured in the film and on its soundtrack. Kenny and Paley were working on what would become the album The Best Day Ever, writing "The Best Day Ever" and "Under My Rock".<ref name=Kenny>Template:Cite web</ref> The film's production team needed two more tracks for the soundtrack;<ref name=Kenny/> Hillenburg heard the songs, and decided to include them.<ref name=Kenny/> "The Best Day Ever" ended up being played during the film's closing credits.<ref name=Kenny/>

Marketing

Promotion

Julia Pistor, the film's co-producer, said that although Nickelodeon wanted to sell character-themed backpacks, lunch boxes, and wristwatches it respected Hillenburg's integrity and gave him control of merchandising.<ref name="Edel2"/> Hillenburg had no problem with candy and ice cream tie-ins, Pistor said (because of the treats' simplicity),<ref name=Edel2/> but he had issues with fast food tie-ins; according to him, the latter was "full of hidden additives."<ref name=Edel2/> Pistor noted that it was difficult to market an animated film without a fast-food tie-in.<ref name=Edel2/> Hillenburg insisted to keep his marketing strategy as-is, saying "We didn't want to suddenly become the people serving up food that's not that good for you, especially kids. We work with Burger King, and they make toys and watches. But to actually take the step of pushing the food, that's crossing the line."<ref name=Edel2/> Variety estimated the media value was $150 million.<ref name="Promotion">Template:Cite web</ref>

The film's promotion in the United States included a 12-figure toy line based on the film from Burger King, and about 4,700 of the chain's stores perched Template:Convert, inflatable SpongeBob figures on their roofs as part of the promotion (one of the largest in fast food history).<ref name=Press1>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the weeks since the start of the film's promotion, a number of the inflatables had been stolen from Burger King roofs nationwide.<ref name=Press1/><ref name=ChicagoTribune>Template:Cite web</ref> The motive behind these particular thefts have not been determined, according to Burger King's chief marketing officer Russ Klein.<ref name=Press1/><ref name=AWN>Template:Cite web</ref> The chain offered a year's supply of Whopper sandwiches as a reward for information leading to the return of inflatables stolen in November.<ref name=Press1/><ref name=AWN/><ref name=CNN>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One was found attached to a railing at the football-field 50-yard line at an Iowa college, another under a bed in Virginia, and a third with an attached ransom note.<ref name=CelebrityCafe>Template:Cite web</ref> Steven Simon and Conrad (C.J.) Mercure Jr. were arrested after stealing an inflatable from a Burger King in St. Mary's County, Maryland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=TST>Template:Cite web</ref> While facing up to 18 months in jail and a $500 fine, Simon and Mercure said they were proud of what they did;<ref name=TST/><ref name=WPost2>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, Burger King took "extra security precautions" in response to the SpongeBob incident, when Stormtroopers from George Lucas' Star Wars guarded the delivery of Star Wars toys to a Burger King in North Hollywood as part of a promotion for the premiere of Revenge of the Sith.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Cayman Islands joined with Nickelodeon to create the first Cayman Islands Sea School with SpongeBob for the film.<ref name="Promotion" /> The partnership was announced by Pilar Bush, deputy director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands, on March 10, 2004. As part of the agreement, the Cayman partnership was seen on Nickelodeon's global multimedia platforms, including on-air, online, and in magazines.<ref name=Cayman>Template:Cite web</ref> Other promotional partners included Mitsubishi, Holiday Inn, Kellogg's, and Perfetti Van Melle.<ref name="Promotion" />

In 2005, Nickelodeon and Simon Spotlight released a book, Ice-Cream Dreams, as a tie-in to the film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was written by Nancy E. Krulik and illustrated by Heather Martinez, with Krulik and Derek Drymon as contributors.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300

On October 15, 2004, the film was the first to sponsor a NASCAR race: the Template:Convert, Busch Series SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.<ref name="PRNews">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Charlotte>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was the first race of its kind where children at the track could listen to a special, "kid-friendly" radio broadcast of the event.<ref name=PRNews/><ref name=Charlotte/>

Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson debuted a pair of SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Chevrolet race cars in the race. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet included an image of SpongeBob across the hood, and Busch's No. 5 Chevrolet featured Patrick Star.<ref name=PRNews/><ref name=Charlotte/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Release

Theatrical

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie held its premiere on November 14, 2004, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and featured a yellow carpet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Among celebrities who saw the premiere with their children were Ray Romano, Larry King, Ice Cube, Gary Dourdan, and Lisa Kudrow.<ref name=WP>Template:Cite web</ref> It was later released in the United States on November 19.<ref name=Release>Template:Cite web</ref>

Home media

Template:AnchorThe film was released on VHS and DVD on March 1, 2005, in wide- and full-screen editions, by Paramount Home Entertainment.<ref name="Lecter">Template:Cite web</ref> The VHS release is known for being the last animated film by Nickelodeon Movies to be released on the platform. The DVD special features include an 18-minute featurette, The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, featuring interviews with most of the principal cast and crew; a 15-minute featurette, Case of the Sponge "Bob", hosted by Jean-Michel Cousteau; a 20-minute animatic segment featuring scenes from the film with dialogue by the original artists, and the film's trailer.<ref name="Lecter" /> As a tie-in to the film's DVD release, 7-Eleven served a limited-edition Under-the-Sea Pineapple Slurpee in March 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The film was released as a Blu-ray-plus-DVD combination pack on March 29, 2011, alongside Charlotte's Web.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 30, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray was released on July 16, 2024, to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Box office

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie earned $9,559,752 on its opening day in the United States, second behind National Treasure (2004) (which earned $11 million).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It grossed a combined total of $32,018,216 during its opening weekend, on 4,300 screens at 3,212 theaters, averaging $9,968 per venue (or $7,446 per screen,<ref name=OW/> again second to National Treasure).<ref name=OW>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=BBC>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film dropped an unexpected 44 percent over the Thanksgiving weekend, and 57 percent the weekend after that.<ref name=Weekends>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The opening weekend earned 37.48 percent of the film's final gross.<ref name=Weekends/> It closed on March 24, 2005, failing to out-gross holiday animated competitors The Incredibles (2004) ($261,441,092) and The Polar Express (2004) ($183,373,735). It was still profitable for distributor Paramount Pictures and producer Nickelodeon Movies, earning $85,417,988 in the United States and $140,161,792 worldwide on a budget of $30 million.<ref name=BOM>Template:Cite Box Office Mojo</ref>

Critical response

Template:Anchor On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie holds an approval rating of 68% based on 124 reviews, with an average rating of Template:RT data. Its critical consensus reads, "Surreally goofy and entertaining for both children and their parents."<ref name="RottenTomatoes">Template:Cite Rotten TomatoesTemplate:RT data</ref> Metacritic (which uses a weighted average) assigned The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie a score of 67 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>Template:Cite Metacritic</ref> Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore Each film's score can be accessed from the website's search bar.</ref>

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "the Good Burger of animation plopping us down inside a fast-food war being fought by sponges, starfish, crabs, tiny plankton and mighty King Neptune."<ref name=Ebert>Template:Cite web</ref> Ed Park of The Village Voice wrote, "No Pixar? No problem! An unstoppable good-mood generator, the resolutely 2-D [The] SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has more yuks than Shark Tale (2004) and enough soul to swallow The Polar Express whole."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, calling it "an animated adventure that's funnier than Shark Tale and more charming than The Polar Express."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Randy Cordova of The Arizona Republic said, "Like the TV show it's based on, it's a daffy, enjoyable creation."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News gave the feature a score of three out of four: "It's not The Incredibles, or one of those animated features that spent zillions on character design, pedigree and verisimilitude. But SpongeBob is a sweet, silly thing with a child-friendly esthetic all its own."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Will Lawrence of Empire gave the film four out of five stars, calling it "a film for kids, students, stoners, anyone who enjoys a break from reality."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B-minus grade: "The best moments in his [SpongeBob SquarePants] first movie outing are those that feel most TV-like, just another day in the eternally optimistic undersea society created with such contagious silliness by Stephen Hillenburg."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Desson Thomson of The Washington Post enjoyed the film: "You gotta love SpongeBob. Coolest sponge in the sea, although this one has a suspiciously manufactured look."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie retains the 2-D charm of the hugely popular Nickelodeon cartoon but adds a few tricks a little 3-D here, a little David Hasselhoff there. The series' appeal never lay in its visuals, however. 'SpongeBob' endeared itself to kids and adults through sweetness and cleverness, also abundant here."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A. O. Scott of The New York Times gave it a score of four out of five: "If you're tired of bluster and swagger, SpongeBob is your man."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tom Maurstad of The Dallas Morning News also gave the film a B-minus grade: "Being so good is what led to making the movie, and it's also the reason that many small-screen episodes are better than this big-screen venture."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some reviews praised David Hasselhoff's appearance in the film. Jennifer Frey of The Washington Post wrote, "Getting to see the hairs on Hasselhoff's back (and thighs, and calves) magnified exponentially is perhaps a bit creepy. Like the movie, it's all in good fun."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cinema Blend founder Joshua Tyler called Hasselhoff's role "the best movie cameo I've seen since Fred Savage stuck a joint in his crotch and played a clarinet to charm the resulting smoke like a snake."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Quote box David Edelstein of Slate criticized the film's plot, calling it a "big, heavy anchor of a story structure to weigh him down."<ref name=Slate>Template:Cite web</ref> Mike Clark of USA Today called it "harmlessly off-the-cuff — but facing far more pedigreed multiplex competition — SpongeBob barely rates as OK when compared with The Incredibles."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A reviewer noted in Time Out London, "Anyone expecting anything more risky will be sadly disappointed."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In his Variety review, Todd McCarthy said the film "takes on rather too much water during its extended feature-length submersion."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While the film received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans of the show, it is considered a turning point in the show's history; many fans believe that the television series has declined in quality since the film's release.<ref name=MSN>Template:Cite web</ref> While episodes aired before the film were praised for their "uncanny brilliance",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> those aired after the film have been called "kid-pandering attention-waster[s]",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "tedious",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "boring", "dreck",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a "depressing plateau of mediocrity"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "laugh-skimpy."<ref name=Mavis>Template:Cite web</ref> After the film's release, fans "began to turn away from the show," causing fansites to "bec[ome] deserted."<ref name=MSN/> Some fans believe that the show's 2012 ratings decline correlates with a decline in quality, and "whatever fan support [the show] enjoys is not enough" to save it from its slide in ratings. This was because Stephen Hillenburg and many writers left the show.<ref name=MSN/>

Accolades

Template:Main Template:Anchor

Smiling man in gray jacket

Director Stephen Hillenburg was nominated at the 32nd Annie Awards for Directing an Animated Feature Production.<ref name="AnnieMovie" />

Fan project

Template:External media In honor of Stephen Hillenburg, a non-profit reanimated collaboration project, titled The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Rehydrated, was released online on May 1, 2022. Similarly to 3GI's Shrek Retold collaboration, the video consists of over 300 artists recreating the film's animation and audio in their own artistic styles. Amid the YouTube premiere, the video was taken down by Paramount Global due to copyright laws. As a result, the hashtag #JusticeForSpongeBob became trending on Twitter against Paramount's action. The video was restored the following day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Video game

Template:Main A video game based on the film was released for PlayStation 2<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PC,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Game Boy Advance,<ref name=GBA>Template:Cite web</ref> Xbox,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and GameCube on October 27, 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> for Mac OS X in 2005<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and PlayStation 3 on February 7, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The home-console version was developed by Heavy Iron Studios;<ref name=VG>Template:Cite web</ref> the Game Boy Advance version was developed by WayForward Technologies<ref name=GBA/> and published by THQ.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It was created on the same engine as SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, which uses RenderWare. Game developer Heavy Iron Studios tweaked the graphics to give the game a sharper and more imaginative look than Battle for Bikini Bottom. It increased the polygon count, added several racing levels, and incorporated many creatures from the film.<ref name=VG/> The game's plot was based on the film, with SpongeBob and Patrick on a mission taking them outside Bikini Bottom to retrieve Neptune's crown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A mobile version, developed by Amplified Games, was also released.<ref name=Mobile>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Standalone sequels

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Template:Main A second movie, which was announced in February 2012, was directed by Paul Tibbitt, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and executive-produced by Stephen Hillenburg, who co-wrote the story with Tibbit.<ref name=Var1>Template:Cite news</ref> Paramount stated in early June 2014 that the film would be released on February 6, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film involves SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Plankton and Sandy taking back the Krabby Patty secret formula from a pirate that stole it, resulting in them making it to land.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

Template:Main The third movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run,<ref name=Donnelly/> was announced in late 2019 and was released on August 14, 2020, in Canada and on March 4, 2021, on Paramount+ in the United States. Tim Hill served as the director and the screenplay was written by Aaron Springer with Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.<ref name=Donnelly>Template:Cite web</ref> The film follows SpongeBob and Patrick on a rescue mission to save Gary, and reveals how SpongeBob and Gary met at Kamp Koral.

Literature

• 2004: Marc Cerasini: SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: A novelization of the hit movie!, Simon Spotlight, Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:Webarchive
• Template:Rotten Tomatoes
• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0345950

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