| The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run | |
|---|---|
 Paramount+ release poster | |
| Directed by | Tim Hill |
| Screenplay by | Tim Hill |
| Story by |
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| Based on | SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg |
| Produced by | Ryan Harris[1][2] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Lyons Collister |
| Edited by | Michael W. Andrews[3] |
| Music by |
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Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes[5] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million[6] |
| Box office | $4.8 million[7][8] |
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is a 2020 American animated adventure comedy film based on the television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Written and directed by series co-developer and former writer Tim Hill, who co-wrote the story with Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger,[9][2] it stars the series' regular voice cast and includes new characters (both live-action and animated) performed by Awkwafina, Snoop Dogg, Tiffany Haddish, Keanu Reeves, Danny Trejo, and Reggie Watts. The film follows SpongeBob on his quest to rescue his pet snail, Gary, after he is kidnapped. The film is dedicated to creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in 2018, and also served as an executive producer on the project. It is the third theatrical film based on the series, following the first in 2004 and second in 2015.
Development for a third SpongeBob film began in April 2015, two months after the release of Sponge Out of Water. By January 2016, Aibel and Berger had been hired to write the film, and by April 2018, Hill was onboard as director. It is the first film in the franchise to be fully animated in stylized computer-generated imagery (as opposed to being entirely animated in 2D like the first film, or mixing 2D and CGI animation together like in the second film). Hans Zimmer composed the film's musical score.
The film was produced by Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, and United Plankton Pictures, with animation provided by Mikros Image. Originally slated for a worldwide theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, plans were changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released theatrically in Canada on August 14, 2020, and digitally on Netflix 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, but lost to Encanto. A fourth theatrical film, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, is currently in development with a release date of December 19, 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
THRwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Kate Erbland (March 3, 2020). "Tribeca 2020 Unveils Features Lineup: The Trip to Greece, King of Staten Island, Bad Education, and Shirley". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Jill Goldsmith (July 22, 2020). "THR Parent Valence Media Rebrands As MRC". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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NetflixDealwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Domestic Guild mandated print credits" (PDF). spongebobmovie.com. August 24, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.