[TRAILER] SpongeBob Splashes in ‘Sponge on the Run’

Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies are back to give our favourite yellow sponge another big-screen adventure. One that’s unlike anything you’ve seen from him before! Here’s the new trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.

Previously subtitled It’s a Wonderful Sponge, this third movie takes SpongeBob and his friends on an epic road trip to rescue his “snail-napped” pet snail, Gary. Here’s the official synopsis:

This Memorial Day weekend, SpongeBob SquarePants, his best friend Patrick Star and the rest of the gang from Bikini Bottom hit the big screen in the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event. After SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary is snail-napped, he and Patrick embark on an epic adventure to The Lost City of Atlantic City to bring Gary home. As they navigate the delights and dangers on this perilous and hilarious rescue mission, SpongeBob and his pals prove there’s nothing stronger than the power of friendship.

Paramount Pictures

The show’s main voice cast return to reprise their roles, with Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy, and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton. Additionally, celebrity guests will be featured in the movie, including Awkwafina (The Angry Birds Movie 2), Reggie Watts (Duck Duck Goose), and Snoop Dogg (The Addams Family).

Oh, and did I mention that Keanu Reeves (Toy Story 4) plays a tumbleweed out of all things?

Directing and co-writing Sponge on the Run is Tim Hill, who notably was one of the early writers of the show, and co-writer of 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. This will make as his grand return to the franchise since departing in 2007. You may also recognize Hill as the director of live-action/CGI family movies such as Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Illumination’s Hop.

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who wrote the previous SpongeBob movie Sponge Out of Water, return to the third movie as co-writers and are joined with Hill and Michael Kvamme. Ryan Harris produces the picture, while renowned composer Hans Zimmer will provide the music. Late-series creator Stephen Hillenburg, who sadly passed away last year, will posthumously receive an executive producer credit.

What makes this movie stand out from all other SpongeBob productions is its unique animation style. This is provided by Mikros Image Canada in Montreal, who previously animated DreamWorks’ heavily stylized Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. The team at Mikros have created a colourful feast for the eyes, giving the 2D series a very successful transition into computer animation.

Similar to what was done in the Lego movies and The Peanuts Movie, the hand-crafted-like aesthetic and deliberate low frame-rate give the stop-motion feel, helping it stand out from the competition. It goes to show that the possibilities of mainstream animation are endless instead of the standard Pixar-like look we’ve grown so accustomed to. Having struggled with disappointments like Sherlock Gnomes and Wonder Park, I feel this new creative approach could benefit Paramount Animation greatly, and help them breakthrough as a legit competitor in the feature animation industry.

Speaking of Paramount Animation, Deadline reported on Tuesday that their upcoming animated feature Rumble had been delayed from July 31, 2020, to January 29, 2021. This replaces Paramount’s then-planned live-action/CGI Rugrats movie which is reportedly grounded. An untitled Paramount Animation film of February 12, 2021, was also pulled from the schedule.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On the Run will be making its splash on the big screen on May 22, 2020.

Are you ready for SpongeBob’s next big-screen adventure? Let your comments ride!