''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American

animated comedy An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animation, animated instead of being filmed live-action, and is generally made or created for adult animation, adult audiences in most cases. ''The Simpsons'', ''SpongeBob SquarePan ...

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

created by

marine science Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...

educator and

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

Stephen Hillenburg Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. Hillenburg was best known for creating the animated television series ''SpongeBo ...

and owned by

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

. It began with the

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

, which premiered in 1999, and went on to become one of the longest-running American animated series. The franchise is the most profitable property for

Paramount Consumer Products Paramount Consumer Products (formerly Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, then ViacomCBS Consumer Products) is the retailing and licensing division of Paramount Global. The department is in charge of merchandising for Paramount-owned brands. A ...

, having generated over $13 billion in merchandising revenue.

Development

Early inspirations

Series' creator

first became fascinated with the ocean as a child and began developing his artistic abilities at a young age. Although these interests would not overlap for some time—the idea of drawing fish seemed boring to him—Hillenburg pursued both during college, majoring in

marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and ...

and minoring in art. After graduating in 1984, he joined the

Ocean Institute The Ocean Institute is an ocean education organization located in Dana Point, California. Founded as the Orange County Marine Institute in 1977, it offers ocean science and maritime history programs for K–12 students and their teachers. Over 1 ...

, an organization in

Dana Point, California Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast; with ready access via State Route 1, it is a popu ...

, dedicated to educating the public about

and

maritime history Maritime history is the study of human interaction with and activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant. As an academic subject, it ...

. While Hillenburg was there, his love of the ocean began to influence his artistry. He created a precursor to ''SpongeBob SquarePants'': a comic book titled ''The Intertidal Zone'' used by the institute to teach visiting students about the animal life of tide pools. The comic starred various

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

sea lifeforms, many of which would evolve into ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' characters. Hillenburg tried to get the comic professionally published, but none of the companies he sent it to were interested. A large inspiration to Hillenburg was Ween's 1997 album ''

The Mollusk ''The Mollusk'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Ween, released by Elektra Records on June 24, 1997. It is a multi-genre concept album with a dark nautical theme, with several songs incorporating elements from psychedelia and/or ...

'', which had a nautical and underwater theme. Hillenburg contacted the band shortly after the album's release, explaining the baseline ideas for ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', and also requested a song from the band, which they sent on Christmas Eve. This song was "Loop de Loop", which was used in the episode "Your Shoe's Untied".

Conception

While working as a staff artist at the Ocean Institute, Hillenburg entertained plans to return eventually to college for a master's degree in art. Before this could materialize, he attended an animation festival, which inspired him to make a slight change in course. Instead of continuing his education with a traditional art program, Hillenburg chose to study experimental animation at the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...

. His thesis film, ''Wormholes'', is about the

theory of relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...

. It was screened at festivals, and at one of these, Hillenburg met Joe Murray, creator of the popular

animated series, ''Rocko's Modern Life''. Murray was impressed by the style of the film and offered Hillenburg a job. Hillenburg joined the series as a director, and later, during the fourth season, he took on the roles of producer and

creative director A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...

Martin Olson Martin Olson (born April 2, 1956) is an American comedy writer, television producer, author and composer. He is known for his unusual subject matter, and is an original member of the Boston Comedy Scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson. ...

, one of the writers for ''Rocko's Modern Life'', read ''The Intertidal Zone'' and encouraged Hillenburg to create a television series with a similar concept. At that point, Hillenburg had not even considered creating his own series. However, he realized that if he ever did, this would be the best approach. He began to develop some of the characters from ''The Intertidal Zone'', including the comic's "announcer", Bob the Sponge. He wanted his series to stand out from most popular cartoons of the time, which he felt were exemplified by buddy comedies like ''

The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated Comedy film, comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotion ...

''. As a result, Hillenburg decided to focus on a single main character: the "weirdest" sea creature he could think of. This led him to the sponge. ''The Intertidal Zone''s Bob the Sponge resembles an actual sea sponge, and at first, Hillenburg continued to use this design. In determining the new character's behavior, Hillenburg drew inspiration from innocent, childlike figures that he enjoyed, such as

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

, and

Pee-wee Herman Pee-wee Herman is a comedy character created and portrayed by the American comedian Paul Reubens. He starred in films and television series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an ...

. He then considered modeling the character after a kitchen sponge and realized this idea would match the character's square personality perfectly. Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Pearl, and Squidward were the next characters Hillenburg created for the show. To voice the series' central character, Hillenburg turned to

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...

, whose career in animation had started alongside Hillenburg's on ''

Rocko's Modern Life ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American Television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Joe Murray (animator), Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic Australian ...

''. Elements of Kenny's own personality were employed to develop the character further. Initially, Hillenburg wanted to use the name SpongeBoy—the character had no last name—and the series was to have been called ''SpongeBoy Ahoy!'' However, the Nickelodeon legal department discovered—after voice acting had been completed for the original seven-minute pilot episode—that the name "SpongeBoy" was already in use for a mop product, and a character of the same name was already trademarked by ''

Flaming Carrot Comics ''Flaming Carrot Comics'' is an American superhero comic book created by Bob Burden, featuring the absurd, surreal adventures of the Flaming Carrot. The series first appeared in ''Visions'' #1, a magazine-size comic book publication. Flaming Ca ...

'' creator

Bob Burden Bob Burden is an American comic book creator, comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of ''Flaming Carrot Comics'' and the ''Mystery Men''. Early life Burden was born the eldest of three siblings in Buffalo, New York. His fath ...

. In choosing a replacement name, Hillenburg felt he still had to use the word "Sponge", so that viewers would not mistake the character for a "Cheese Man". He settled on the name "SpongeBob". "SquarePants" was chosen as a family name after Kenny saw a picture of the character and remarked, "Boy, look at this sponge in square pants, thinking he can get a job in a fast food place." When he heard Kenny say it Hillenburg loved the phrase and felt it would reinforce the character's nerdiness.

Assembling the crew

Derek Drymon Derek Drymon (born November 19, 1968) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director, comedian, and producer. He has worked on numerous animated cartoon productions. Early life Derek Drymon was born in New Jersey. t=movies "De ...

, who served as creative director for the first three seasons, has said that Hillenburg wanted to surround himself with a "team of young and hungry people." Many of the major contributors to ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' had worked before with Hillenburg on ''Rocko's Modern Life'': this included: Drymon,

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Nick Jennings,

supervising director An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated or television film, or an animated segment for a live-action film or television show. Alternatively, the animation directo ...

Alan Smart Alan Smart (born October 10, 1963) is a retired animator and an animation director best known for his work as the supervising director on ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', which he has been involved with since the pilot, and as assistant director and l ...

, writer / voice actor

Doug Lawrence Doug Lawrence or Douglas Lawrence, may refer to: * Mr. Lawrence (born 1969; Douglas Lawrence Osowski), American voice actor and writer * Doug Lawrence (jazz musician) (born 1956), American saxophonist * Douglas Lawrence (born 1943; Raymond Dougl ...

(often credited as Mr. Lawrence), and Tim Hill, who helped develop the series bible. Although Drymon would go on to have a significant influence on ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', he was not offered a role on the series initially. As a late recruit to ''Rocko's Modern Life'', he had not established much of a relationship with Hillenburg before ''SpongeBob''s conception. Hillenburg first sought out Drymon's storyboard partner,

Mark O'Hare Mark Sean O'Hare (born July 18, 1968) is an American cartoonist, animator, writer and storyboard artist who created the comic strip '' Citizen Dog''. O'Hare is well known for his work on animated television shows as a writer and storyboard arti ...

—but he had just created the soon-to-be syndicated comic strip, '' Citizen Dog''. While he would later join ''SpongeBob'' as a writer, he lacked the time to get involved with both projects from the outset. Drymon has said, "I remember Hillenburg's bringing it up to Mark in our office and asking him if he'd be interested in working on it ... I was all ready to say yes to the offer, but Steve didn't ask; he just left the room. I was pretty desperate ... so I ran into the hall after him and basically begged him for the job. He didn't jump at the chance." Once Hillenburg had given it some thought and decided to bring Drymon on as creative director, the two began meeting at Hillenburg's house several times a week to develop the series. Drymon has identified this period as having begun in 1996, shortly after the end of ''Rocko's Modern Life''. Jennings was also instrumental in ''SpongeBob''s genesis. Kenny has called him "one of SpongeBob's early graphics mentors". On weekends, Kenny joined Hillenburg, Jennings, and Drymon for creative sessions where they recorded ideas on a tape recorder. Kenny performed audio tests as SpongeBob during these sessions, while Hillenburg voice acted the other characters. Hill contributed scripts for several first-season episodes (including the pilot) and was offered the role of

story editor Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called supervising producer. The responsibilities of the story editor vary depending on the production; this article describes the duties the role most commo ...

, but turned it down—he would go on to pursue a career as a family film director. In his stead, Pete Burns was brought in for the job. Burns hailed from Chicago and had never met any of the principal players on ''SpongeBob'' before joining the team.

Pitching

While pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, Hillenburg donned a Hawaiian shirt, brought along an "underwater

terrarium A terrarium ( terraria or terrariums) is a glass container containing soil and plants in an environment different from the surroundings. It is usually a sealable container that can be opened for maintenance or to access the plants inside; howeve ...

with models of the characters", and played Hawaiian music to set the theme. The setup was described by Nickelodeon executive Eric Coleman as "pretty amazing". They were given money and two weeks to write the pilot episode " Help Wanted". Drymon, Hillenburg, and Jennings returned with what was described by Nickelodeon official

Albie Hecht Albie Hecht is an American film and television producer and media executive. In 1997, Hecht was the president of film and TV entertainment for Nickelodeon before becoming president of the television channel Spike TV in 2003. In 2005, he founded ...

as, "a performance ewished ehad on tape". Although executive producer Derek Drymon described the pitch as stressful, he said it went "very well".

Kevin Kay Kevin Kay is an American television executive. A native of New Jersey, he began his career at NBC's Rockefeller Center studios in New York City working on ''Jeopardy!'' and ''The Tonight Show'' before joining ''Saturday Night Live'' and ultimat ...

and Hecht had to step outside because they were "exhausted from laughing", which worried the cartoonists. In an interview,

Cyma Zarghami Cyma Zarghami (, born December 15, 1962) is an Iranian-born American film studio and former cable television executive who served as the president of Nickelodeon and Viacom Media Networks' Kids & Family Group from 2006 to 2018. She is the founder ...

, then-president of Nickelodeon, said, "their ickelodeon executives'immediate reaction was to see it again, both because they liked it and it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before". Zarghami was one of four executives in the room when ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' was screened for the first time. Before commissioning the full series, Nickelodeon executives insisted that it would not be popular unless SpongeBob was a child who went to school, with his teacher as a main character. Hillenburg recalled in 2012 that Nickelodeon told him, "Our winning formula is animation about kids in school... We want you to put SpongeBob in school." Hillenburg was ready to "walk out" on Nickelodeon and abandon the series, since he wanted SpongeBob to be an adult character. He eventually compromised by adding a new character to the main cast, Mrs. Puff, who is a boat-driving teacher. Hillenburg was happy with the compromise and said, "A positive thing for me that came out of it was ow it broughtin a new character, Mrs. Puff, who I love."

Television series

''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (1999–present)

The series is set in the fictional

underwater An underwater environment is a environment of, and immersed in, liquid water in a natural or artificial feature (called a Water, body of water), such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, reservoir, river, canal, or aquifer. Some characteristics of the ...

city of Bikini Bottom, and centers on the adventures and endeavors of

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

, an over-optimistic

sea sponge Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and are o ...

that annoys other characters.

''Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years'' (2021–2024)

On February 14, 2019, it was announced that a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' spin-off is in development. On June 4, it was announced the spinoff will be titled ''Kamp Koral''. The plot will focus on a 10-year-old SpongeBob and his friends at the titular camp located in the Kelp Forest, where they spend the summer catching

jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

, building campfires, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck. It serves as a tie-in to the animated film '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run''. It was confirmed production of the series began in June 2019. Nickelodeon animation head Ramsey Naito said of the series, "SpongeBob has an incredible universe to expand upon and the greenlight for ''Kamp Koral'' is a testament to the strength and longevity of these characters known and loved by generations of fans around the world." Like ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', the series is co-executive produced by Marc Ceccarelli, Jennie Monica, and Vincent Waller. ''Kamp Koral'' is produced using

computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...

rather than the

digital ink and paint 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 of the 20th century, until there was a shif ...

animation used for ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. On February 19, 2020, it was announced that the series had an official title of ''Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years'', and would be premiering in July 2020. On July 30, 2020, it was announced that the series would be released on

CBS All Access Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily ...

(now

Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...

), the

ViacomCBS Paramount Global (Trade name, d/b/a Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and Headquarters, headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Times Square, ...

streaming service, in early 2021. On January 28, 2021, it was announced that the series would premiere on March 4, 2021.

''The Patrick Star Show'' (2021–present)

On August 10, 2020, it was reported that a

Patrick Star Patrick Star is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. He is voiced by actor Bill Fagerbakke and was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. He first ...

talk show titled ''The Patrick Star Show'' was in development with a 13-episode order. The show is similar to other talk shows such as ''

The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. Created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein, the show ran for six seasons and List of The Larry Sanders Show episodes, ...

'' and ''

Comedy Bang! Bang! ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! It is hosted by writer and ...

''. The series premiered on Nickelodeon on July 9, 2021, with the series set to be available on

later on.

Films

''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' (2004)

In this live-action animated comedy,

Plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

's plan is to steal King Neptune's crown and send it to the dangerous Shell City, and then frame

Mr. Krabs Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. He is voiced by actor Clancy Brown and first appeared in the series' pilot episode " Help ...

for the crime. SpongeBob and

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 ...

must journey to Shell City while facing several perils along the way to 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)

The plot follows a pirate named Burger Beard (

Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received numerous accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award ...

), who steals the

Krabby Patty The Krabby Patty is a veggie burger sold by the fictional Krusty Krab restaurant in the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Created by the restaurant's founder Mr. Krabs, Eugene Krabs and his archenemy Plankton and Karen#Plank ...

secret formula using a magical book that makes any text written upon it come true. After Bikini Bottom turns into an apocalyptic cesspool and the citizens turn against SpongeBob, he must team up with Plankton to find the formula and save Bikini Bottom. Later, SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Sandy and Plankton must travel to the surface to confront Burger Beard and get the formula back before Bikini Bottom is completely destroyed.

''The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' (2020)

The film centers on SpongeBob and Patrick traveling to the underwater Atlantic City to save Gary from King Poseidon. During the adventure, SpongeBob's friends reflect on them first meeting him at Camp Coral. The film showcases stylized 3D animation, with most of the movie presented in full CGI and some parts featuring 3D characters interacting with live-action environments, all animated by

Mikros Animation Mikros Animation is a French production company specializing in the creation of digital visual effects, post-production, and animation. With studios in Paris, London and Montreal, the company was acquired by Technicolor SA in 2015 from its prev ...

In development

''The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants'' (2025)

In August 2021,

CEO

Brian Robbins Brian Robbins (born Brian Levine, November 22, 1963) is an American film producer, director, and executive. He is the Co-CEO of Paramount Global; President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Offi ...

, mentioned that "there's a new ''SpongeBob'' film in the works". A fourth film was officially confirmed in February 2022, with a targeted theatrical release of the film. On November 10, 2022, it was announced that the film will release in theaters on May 23, 2025. The film's title was revealed on April 27, 2023. In October 2023 this film's release date was pushed back to December 19, 2025.

Spinoff films

In early March 2020, ViacomCBS announced that it would be producing two spin-off films based on the series for

. In February 2022, it was revealed that these plans had been revised to three character spinoff films.

''Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie'' (2024)

In May 2021, a

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

''Sandy Cheeks'' feature film was announced to be in development from

for

streaming television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable t ...

, to be directed by Liza Johnson from a script written by Kaz and Tom J. Stern and described as a hybrid feature that will put the animated

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

into a live-action setting. On August 12, 2021, the title of the movie was revealed as ''Saving Bikini Bottom''. On August 16, 2021, it was revealed that plans to film ''Saving Bikini Bottom'' in Los Alamos were scrapped due to rewrites of the script. In February 2022, During its Investors call, Nickelodeon CEO Brian Robbins said that they would be working on the three character driven spin-off films would release them exclusively on its streamer

, with the first one premiering in 2023. In February 2023,

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

also picked up distribution rights for the film with a planned 2023 release. In April 2023, it was revealed that the film would instead be released in 2024.

''Plankton: The Movie'' (2025)

Fans′ Short films

SpongeBob SquareShorts

Nickelodeon launched the first global ''SpongeBob SquarePants''-themed

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

competition, SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes, in 2013. The contest encouraged fans and filmmakers around the world to create original short films inspired by SpongeBob for a chance to win a prize and a trip for four people to a screening event in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. The contest opened on May 6 and ran through June 28, 2013. On July 19, 2013, Nickelodeon announced the competition's finalists. On August 13, 2013, the under 18 years of age category was won by David of the United States for his ''The Krabby Commercial'', while the ''Finally Home'' short by Nicole of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

won the 18 and over category.

Video games

Numerous

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s based on the series have been produced. Some of the early games include: '' Legend of the Lost Spatula'' (2001) and '' SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom'' (2003). In 2013, Nickelodeon published and distributed '' SpongeBob Moves In!'', a

freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium", is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical ( ...

city-building game A city-building game, or town-building game, is a Video game genres, genre of simulation video game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city or town, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and man ...

app developed by

Kung Fu Factory Kung Fu Factory is an American video game developer located in Los Angeles, California in the United States. History The company was formerly known as Just Games Interactive, which developed '' Mortal Kombat: Unchained'' and '' Mortal Kombat: ...

for

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and Android. On June 5, 2019, THQ Nordic announced '' SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated'', a full remake of the console versions of the original 2003 game. The game was released 1 year later on June 23, 2020 and includes cut content from the original game. On May 28, 2020, a platform game developed by Old Skull Games named ''Spongebob Squarepants: Patty Pursuit'' was released by Nickelodeon on

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

devices through

Apple Arcade Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service offered by Apple Inc. It is available through a dedicated tab of the App Store on devices running iOS 13, visionOS, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The service launched o ...

. In 2021,

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...

introduced a SpongeBob-themed level to the Yard section of its ''

Madden NFL 21 ''Madden NFL 21'' is an American football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an installment of the long-running ''Madden NFL'' series. It was released for Micros ...

'' video game. On September 17, 2021, THQ Nordic announced '' SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake,'' a new original game based on the franchise.

Comic books

The 32-page bimonthly comic book series, ''

SpongeBob Comics ''SpongeBob Comics'' is a comic book series based on the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. It was published by United Plankton Pictures and distributed by Bongo Comics. It was initially published every two months in the Uni ...

'', was announced in November 2010 and debuted the following February. Before this, ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' comics had been published in ''

Nickelodeon Magazine ''Nick Magazine'' is a defunct American children's magazine inspired by the children's television network Nickelodeon. Its first incarnation appeared in 1990 and was distributed at participating Pizza Hut restaurants; the version of the magazine ...

'', and episodes of the television series had been adapted by '' Cine-Manga'', but ''SpongeBob Comics'' was the first American comic book series devoted solely to ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. It also served as ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' creator Stephen Hillenburg's debut as a comic book author. The series was published by Hillenburg's production company,

United Plankton Pictures Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. Hillenburg was best known for creating the animated television series ''SpongeBo ...

, and distributed by

Bongo Comics Group Bongo Comics Group was a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Matt Groening along with Steve & Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison (comics), Bill Morrison. It published comics related to the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and ...

. Hillenburg described the stories from the comic books as "original and always true to the humor, characters, and universe of the SpongeBob SquarePants series." Leading up to the release of the series, Hillenburg said, "I'm hoping that fans will enjoy finally having a ''SpongeBob'' comic book from me." Chris Duffy, the former senior editor of ''Nickelodeon Magazine'', serves as managing editor of ''SpongeBob Comics''. Hillenburg and Duffy met with various cartoonists—including

James Kochalka James Kochalka (born May 26, 1967, in Springfield, Vermont) is an American comic book artist, writer, animator, and rock and roll, rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Ko ...

Hilary Barta Hilary Barta (born June 17, 1957) is an American comic book writer and artist. Biography Barta's first comics work came in June 1982, when he helped Marvel inkers Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnott and Sal Trapani provide inks for the pencils of Don Perl ...

Graham Annable Graham Annable (born June 1, 1970) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator. He is the creator of ''Grickle'', published by Alternative Comics, and one of the founders of the ''Hickee'' humor anthology (also published by Alternative Comics). Annable ...

, Gregg Schigiel, and Jacob Chabot—to contribute to each issues. Retired

horror comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...

writer and artist Stephen R. Bissette returned to write a special Halloween issue in 2012, with

Tony Millionaire Tony Millionaire (born Scott Richardson in 1956) is an American cartoonist, illustrator and author known for his syndicated comic strip '' Maakies'' and the ''Sock Monkey'' series of comics and picture books. Personal life Born Scott Richards ...

and

Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921 – April 10, 2023) was an American cartoonist. He was notable for his work in the satire, satirical magazine ''Mad (magazine), Mad'', including his trademark feature, the Mad Fold-in, ''Mad'' F ...

. In an interview with

Tom Spurgeon Thomas Martin Spurgeon (December 16, 1968 – November 13, 2019) was an American writer, historian, critic, and editor in the field of comics, notable for his five-year run as editor of ''The Comics Journal'' and his blog ''The Comics Reporter'' ...

, Bissette said, "I've even broken my retirement to do one work-for-hire gig for ''SpongeBob Comics'' so I could share everything about that kind of current job." In the United Kingdom,

Titan Magazines Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...

published comics based on ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' every four weeks from February 3, 2005, through November 28, 2013. Titan Magazines also teamed up with

Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...

to release a limited edition ''SpongeBob''-themed comic.

Music

Collections of original music featured in the series have been released on the albums '' SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights'' (2001), '' SpongeBob's Greatest Hits'' (2009), and ''

The Yellow Album ''The Yellow Album'' is ''The Simpsons'' second album of originally recorded songs, released as a follow-up to the 1990 album '' The Simpsons Sing the Blues''. Though it was released in 1998, it had been recorded years earlier, after the succe ...

'' (2005). The first two charted on the US ''Billboard'' 200, reaching number 171 and 122, respectively. Several songs have been recorded for the purpose of a single or album release, and have not been featured on the show. The song "My Tidy Whities" written by Tom Kenny and

Andy Paley Andrew Douglas Paley (November 1, 1951 – November 20, 2024) was an American songwriter, record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who formed the Paley Brothers, a 1970s power pop duo, with his brother Jonathan Paley. Following thei ...

was released only on the album ''

The Best Day Ever ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Day Ever'' is the fourth soundtrack by the voice cast members of ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Written by Tom Kenny and musician and producer Andy Paley, it features musical cameos by Brian Wilson, Tommy Ramone, ...

'' (2006). Kenny's inspiration for the song was "underwear humor," saying: "Underwear humor is always a surefire laugh-getter with kids ... Just seeing a character that odd wearing really prosaic, normal,

Kmart Kmart ( ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation, now operated by Transformco, is a department-store chain and online retailer in the United States and Territories of the United States, its territories. It operates four remaining Kma ...

, three-to-a-pack underwear is a funny drawing ... We thought it was funny to make a really lush, beautiful love song to his underwear." A soundtrack album ''

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie – Music from the Movie and More ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

...'', featuring the film's score was released along with the feature-length film in November 2004. Various artists including

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, guitars, bass, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals), Derek Brown ...

Wilco Wilco is an American Rock music, rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its fir ...

, Ween,

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

the Shins The Shins are an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's c ...

, and

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...

contributed to the soundtrack that reached number 76 on the US ''Billboard'' 200.

Theater

''SpongeBob SquarePants'' was adapted as a

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

in 2016 by director

Tina Landau Tina Landau (born May 21, 1962) is an American playwright and theatre director. Known for her large-scale, musical, and ensemble-driven work, Landau's productions have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, most extensively at the ...

. ''

SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway Musical ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical'' (originally titled ''The SpongeBob Musical'', later retitled for the national tour) is a musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow. I ...

'' premiered in Chicago in 2016 and opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

at the Palace Theatre on December 4, 2017. The musical opened to critical acclaim, and tied for most-nominated production at the 2018

72nd Tony Awards The 72nd Annual Tony Awards were held on June 10, 2018, to recognize achievement in Broadway theatre, Broadway productions during the 2017–18 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and was broadcast live by CB ...

with twelve

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...

nominations.

Theme park rides

The

SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D (also known as SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D Ride, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Ride or SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D) was a 2003 cel-shaded 4-D film simulator ride based on the predecessor of the same name. It could be found a ...

film and ride opened at several locations including

Six Flags Over Texas "Six flags over Texas" is the slogan used to describe the six sovereign countries that have had control over some or all of the current territory of the U.S. state of Texas: Spain (1519–1685; 1690–1821), France (1685–1690), Mexico (1821� ...

Flamingo Land Resort Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo, and resort located in Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1959, it has been owned and operated by The Gibb Family since 1978. History Flamingo Land Resort was established in 1959 when a cin ...

, and the

Shedd Aquarium Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the aquarium holds about 32,000 animals. It is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after the Georgia Aquariu ...

. The ride features water squirts, real bubbles, and other sensory enhancements. In 2012, Nickelodeon teamed up again with SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment and Super 78 to produce ''SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D: The Great Jelly Rescue''. The attraction opened in early 2013 at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. It was also installed at the

Nickelodeon Suites Resort Orlando Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cabl ...

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

. The seven-minute film follows SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy rescuing the jellyfish of Jellyfish Fields from Plankton's evil clutches. On May 23, 2015, an interactive 3D show titled ''SpongeBob SubPants Adventure'' opened in Texas at Moody Gardens. The show was replaced with a generic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" re-theming in 2019. A

dark ride A dark ride—or ghost train when horror themed—is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain Animatronics, animation, sound, music and Special effect#Live spe ...

shooter attraction titled '' SpongeBob's Crazy Carnival Ride'' opened at the Circus Circus Resort in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

in 2024. A variety of SpongeBob SquarePants-related attractions are currently located within Nickelodeon themed-areas at

Movie Park Germany Movie Park Germany is a theme park in Bottrop-Kirchhellen in western Germany, north of Düsseldorf, with an area of . It consists of 7 areas based on movies and TV series. Nearby the park are several film studios. History The park originall ...

Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort, best known by its former name Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is an amusement park situated on Blackpool, Blackpool's South Shore, Blackpool, South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded i ...

, Sea World,

American Dream Meadowlands American Dream is a large retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, and is the second largest mall in the United Sta ...

, and

Mall of America Mall of America (MoA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north ...

, which includes the

SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge ''SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge'' is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Standing 74.5 feet tall, it is the tallest roller coaster in the park. It ...

euro-fighter

roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...

. In 2024, Majaland Gdańsk opened in Gdańsk and as part of the extended cooperation with Nickelodeon, offers Nickelodeon Land, in which offers rides inspired by SpongeBob. From April 2025, mascots of SpongeBob and Patrick appears in the remaining Majaland parks in Poland. In 2026,

Universal Kids Resort Universal Kids Resort is an upcoming children's theme park and entertainment resort under construction in Frisco, Texas, United States. Scheduled to open in May 2026, it will be the sixth Universal Studios Resort, and the third in the United ...

will include a themed land based on the franchise.

Merchandise

The popularity of ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' inspired merchandise from T-shirts to posters. It was reported that the franchise generated an estimated $8 billion in merchandising revenue for Nickelodeon. It is also the most distributed property of

ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks Paramount Media Networks is the division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after MTV. It would be known under this ...

. ''SpongeBob'' is viewed in 170 countries speaking 24 languages, and has become "a killer merchandising app". The title character and his friends have been used as a theme for special editions of well-known family board games, including

Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

, and

Operation Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, as well as a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' edition of Ants in the Pants, and

Yahtzee Yahtzee is a dice game made by Milton Bradley (a company that has since been acquired and assimilated by Hasbro). It was first marketed under the name of Yahtzee by game entrepreneur Edwin S. Lowe in 1956. The game is a development of earlie ...

. In April 2019, Nickelodeon released Masterpiece Memes, a series of toys adapted from various SpongeBob

Internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * {{Portal bar, United States, Cartoon, Film, Comics, Video games, Comedy, Geography, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s Paramount Global franchises Mass media franchises introduced in 1999 Television franchises