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SpongeBob SquarePants (film series)

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SpongeBob SquarePants
Logotype created for the 2015 film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.
Logotype for the 2015 film
Directed byStephen Hillenburg (1)
Paul Tibbitt (2–3)
Written bySee below
Produced bySee below
StarringTom Kenny
Bill Fagerbakke
Rodger Bumpass
Clancy Brown
Mr. Lawrence
Jill Talley
Carolyn Lawrence
Mary Jo Catlett
Lori Alan
(See below)
Music bySee below
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
2004–present
Running time
180 minutes (1–2)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$104 million (both films)
Box office$463.6 million (both films)

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated/live-action comedy film series based on the Nickelodeon television program of the same name, created by Stephen Hillenburg. It began in 2004 with the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. The series is distributed and owned by Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Nickelodeon's parent company Viacom. All films feature the regular television voice cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett and Lori Alan. The first installment was directed by Hillenburg, and all subsequent films were directed by former showrunner Paul Tibbitt.

Plans for a film based on the series began in 2001, when Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures began approaching Stephen Hillenburg for a theatrical feature. He initially refused their offers, but began developing it in 2002 upon completion of the show's third season. The first movie was theatrically released in the United States on November 19, 2004 to critical and commercial success. It was originally planned to act as the series finale, but the franchise's success led to the production of more episodes. A stand-alone sequel followed in 2015 and a third film is slated to finish production in 2020.

All films in the series have been made available on DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, streaming media and video on demand.[1] The first installment was also made available on VHS.

Films

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

Main article: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

In this live-action animated comedy, Plankton's plan is to steal King Neptune's crown and send it to the dangerous Shell City. SpongeBob and Patrick must retrieve the crown to save Mr. Krabs from Neptune's wrath and Bikini Bottom from Plankton's tyranny.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)

Main article: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

The plot follows a pirate called Burger-Beard, who steals the Krabby Patty secret formula using a magical book that makes any text written upon it come true. SpongeBob and his friends must travel to the surface to confront Burger-Beard and get the formula back.

The SpongeBob Movie (2020)

On April 30, 2015, Viacom announced a third movie was in development, under the working title SpongeBob SquarePants 3.[2] On August 3, 2015, via Twitter, Vincent Waller confirmed that the sequel is in pre-production and that Paul Tibbitt will once again direct.[3] The film was initially set to be released on February 8, 2019, but was pushed to August 2, 2019 in March 2017[4] and pushed again to July 31, 2020 on December 19, 2017.[5] On March 28, 2017, Yahoo! Movies reported on its Twitter feed that the movie had been given the title The SpongeBob Movie.[6] Showrunner Vincent Waller later suggested that this was a placeholder title.[7]

Cast and characters

Further information: List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters and List of SpongeBob SquarePants cast members
Characters Films
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie The SpongeBob Movie:
Sponge Out of Water 		The SpongeBob Movie
2004 2015 2020
SpongeBob SquarePants Tom Kenny
Gary the Snail
Patrick Star Bill Fagerbakke
Squidward Tentacles Rodger Bumpass
Mr. Krabs Clancy Brown
Sheldon Plankton Mr. Lawrence
Karen Plankton Jill Talley
Sandy Cheeks Carolyn Lawrence
Mrs. Puff Mary Jo Catlett
Pearl Krabs Lori Alan
King Neptune Jeffrey Tambor
Princess Mindy Scarlett Johansson
Dennis Alec Baldwin
David Hasselhoff Himself
Burger-Beard Antonio Banderas
Bubbles Matt Berry

Production

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures had approached SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg for a film based on the show as early as 2001, but he refused for more than a year.[8] He was concerned, after watching The Iron Giant and Toy Story with his sons, about the challenge of SpongeBob and Patrick doing something more cinematically-consequential and inspiring without losing what he calls the SpongeBob "cadence."[8] He said, on a break from season four post-production, "To do a 75-minute movie about SpongeBob wanting to make some jellyfish jelly would be a mistake, I think [...] This 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."[8] The writers decided to write a mythical hero's quest for the 2004 film: the search for a stolen crown, which brings SpongeBob and Patrick to the surface.[9] Of the plot, Bill Fagerbakke (the voice of Patrick) said, "It's just nuts. I'm continually dazzled and delighted with what these guys came up with."[10]

Production on the first film began in 2002 after Hillenburg and the show's staff completed the third season.[11] A tongue-in-cheek announcement of the film's plot from early on stated that it would feature SpongeBob rescuing Patrick from a fisherman in Florida.[11] This was intended as a humorous reference to Finding Nemo and was later confirmed by Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob) to be a "joke" plot to keep fans busy.[11] Hillenburg wrote the film 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.[8] Osborne said, "It was hugely fun [...] although it did get kind of gamy in there."[8] 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, who were both inspirations for SpongeBob.[9]

The first film was intended to be the series finale; Hillenburg wanted to end the franchise after the movie was completed so it "wouldn't jump the shark". However, Nickelodeon desired more episodes due to the franchise's growing popularity.[12] Hillenburg stated: "Well, there was concern when we did the movie [in 2004] that the show had peaked. There were concerns among executives at Nickelodeon."[13][14] As a result, Hillenburg resigned as the series' showrunner,[15] appointing writer, director, and storyboard artist Paul Tibbitt to succeed him.[16] Tibbitt was one of Hillenburg's favorite crew members:[17] "[I] totally trusted him."[18] 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 2016.[16][19] From the fourth season to the ninth, Hillenburg did not write or run the show on a day-to-day basis, but reviewed each episode and submitted suggestions: "I figure when I'm pretty old I can still paint [...] I don't know about running shows."[15][20] In 2015, Hillenburg returned to the show following the completion of the second movie as an executive producer, now having greater creative input and attending crew meetings.[21][22]

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

In 2010, The New York Times reported that Nickelodeon had approached the show's crew to make a second film adaptation.[23] The network hoped to give itself and the global franchise "a boost" by releasing another film.[24] The Los Angeles Times reported that Paramount had "another SpongeBob picture" in development in March 2011.[25] Philippe Dauman, then president and CEO of Paramount and Viacom, officially announced on February 28, 2012 that a sequel film was in development and slated for a 2014 release. He stated that Viacom "will be releasing a SpongeBob movie at the end of 2014."[26][27][28] Dauman added that the film "will serve to start off or be one of our films that starts off our new animation effort."[26] Nickelodeon expected the film to do much better in foreign box office than the 2004 feature, given its increasingly global reach.[24][29] Dauman said, "This will continue to propel SpongeBob internationally."[24]

Production on the second movie was announced on June 10, 2014 under the title The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 2,[30][31] which some trade publications began referring to as SpongeBob SquarePants 2 and SpongeBob SquarePants 2: The Movie.[32] Stephen Hillenburg returned to act as the film's executive producer.[15][20] In a 2012 interview with former cast member Thomas F. Wilson, Hillenburg stated that he was contributing to the story of the film.[33] Tibbitt later revealed on Twitter in late 2013 that "Steve [Hillenburg] and I wrote the new movie together and he has been in the studio everyday working with us."[34] Production on the film was expected to finish in November 2014.[35]

Reception

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office Budget Ref(s)
Opening weekend
North America 		North America Other territories Worldwide
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie November 19, 2004 $32,018,216 $85,417,988 $54,743,804 $140,161,792 $30 million [36]
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water February 6, 2015 $55,365,012 $162,994,032 $160,442,506 $323,436,538 $74 million [37]
Total $87,383,228 $248,412,020 $215,186,310 $463,598,330 $104 million

Critical and public reception

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 68% (125 reviews)[38] 66 (32 reviews)[39] B+[40]
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water 80% (100 reviews)[41] 62 (27 reviews)[42] B[43]

Crew

Film Director(s) Producer(s) Writer(s) Composer Cinematographer Editor
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Stephen Hillenburg
Mark Osborne (live-action sequences) 		Stephen Hillenburg and Julia Pistor Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Stephen Hillenburg, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer & Paul Tibbitt Gregor Narholz Jerzy Zielinski Lynn Hobson
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Paul Tibbitt
Mike Mitchell (live-action sequences) 		Paul Tibbitt and Mary Parent Screenplay: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Story: Stephen Hillenburg & Paul Tibbitt 		John Debney Phil Méheux David Ian Salter
The SpongeBob Movie Paul Tibbitt Screenplay: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Story: Paul Tibbitt & Kyle McCulloch 		TBA TBA TBA

References

  1. ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Blu-ray". Blu-ray. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  2. ^ "Viacom on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. ^ "Vincent Waller". Twitter. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  4. ^ "Paramount Teases Nickelodeon-Based Feature Toon Lineup Including 'The Loud House' – CinemaCon". Deadline. March 28, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  5. ^ http://deadline.com/2017/12/johnny-knoxville-action-point-spongebob-squarepant-movie-release-dates-paramount-1202229994/
  6. ^ "Yahoo! Movies". Twitter. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  7. ^ "Vincent Waller". Twitter. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e Edelstein, David (November 7, 2004). "He Lives in a Pineapple, but Then What?". The New York Times. Burbank, California. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Edelstein, David (November 7, 2004). "He Lives in a Pineapple, but Then What?". The New York Times. Burbank, California. p. 2. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  10. ^ The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2005.
  11. ^ a b c Koltnow, Barry (November 14, 2004). "SpongeBob creator is soaking up success". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  12. ^ Heintjes, Tom (September 21, 2012). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  13. ^ Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). "The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  14. ^ "The brilliance behind SpongeBob". Boston.com. July 16, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  15. ^ a b c Bauder, David (July 13, 2009). "SpongeBob Turns 10 Valued At $8 Billion". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Fletcher, Alex (April 3, 2011). "Paul Tibbitt ('SpongeBob SquarePants')". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  17. ^ Hillenburg, Stephen (2009). The First 100 Episodes - Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
  18. ^ Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). "The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  19. ^ Rae, Fiona (September 26, 2009). "Paul Tibbitt interview". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Reaches A Milestone: 10 Years". Access Hollywood. July 13, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  21. ^ Waller, Vincent (20 July 2015). "Vincent Waller on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 15 September 2016. Now [Hillenburg] has an office next to mine, and attends meetings.
  22. ^ Waller, Vincent (20 July 2015). "Vincent Waller on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 15 September 2016. Previously [Hillenburg] would occasionally send a note on a board or an outline. Now he is in meetings.
  23. ^ Barnes, Brooks (July 4, 2010). "Nickelodeon Tries Again to Move to the Big Screen". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2013. Other films in development include a vehicle for Miranda Cosgrove, the star of the Nickelodeon seriesiCarly, and a family adventure built around Mattel's Magic 8-Ball toy. The creators of SpongeBob SquarePants have also been approached to do another film.
  24. ^ a b c Chozik, Amy (March 4, 2012). "Return to Big Screen for SpongeBob". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  25. ^ Fritz, Ben; Verrier, Richard (March 4, 2011). "Success for Paramount's Rango could lead to end of deal with DreamWorks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  26. ^ a b Miller, Daniel (February 28, 2012). "Paramount to Release 'SpongeBob' Movie in Late 2014". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  27. ^ Levine, Daniel (February 28, 2012). "Paramount announces plans to release second 'Spongebob Squarepants' film in 2014". TheCelebrityCafe.com. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  28. ^ Chitwood, Adam (February 28, 2012). "Paramount Announces New SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Movie Set for End of 2014". Collider. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  29. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (March 5, 2012). "New SpongeBob Movie Coming". IGN. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  30. ^ Graser, Marc; Kroll, Justin (August 16, 2012). "Paramount ramping up animation slate". Variety. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  31. ^ Tibbitt, Paul (December 5, 2013). "Twitter / paultibbitt: Spoiler alert: theses characters ..." Twitter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  32. ^ "Paramount Dates 'Spongebob Squarepants 2,' 'Monster Trucks' for 2015". The Hollywood Reporter. January 8, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  33. ^ Wilson, Thomas F. (Interviewer); Hillenburg, Stephen (Interviewee) (May 29, 2012). Big Pop Fun #28: Stephen Hillenburg, Artist and Animator–Interview (Podcast). Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original (mp3) on December 21, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  34. ^ Tibbitt, Paul (December 19, 2013). "@DEEninetysix @shawndagamer ." Twitter. Archived from the original on December 21, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  35. ^ Waller, Vincent (December 19, 2013). "Twitter / VincentWaller72: @rseveman94 hi Roberto, we're ..." Twitter. Archived from the original on January 31, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  36. ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  37. ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  38. ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  39. ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  40. ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie". CinemaScore. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  41. ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  42. ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  43. ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water". CinemaScore. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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