THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN is Skipping Theaters and Headed To VOD and CBS All Access
Paramount Pictures has decided to skip the theatrical release for Nickelodeon’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run. The studio will instead release the movie on premium VOD rental services in early 2021 and then it will be exclusively released on CBS All Access, which is the streaming service owned by the studio’s parent company, ViacomCBS.
The movie was originally supposed to hit theaters on May 22nd. It was then postponed until August 7th due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, they’ve got their new plan for the release.
Marc DeBevoise, chief digital officer at ViacomCBS, and president and CEO of ViacomCBS Digital said in a statement:
“We are thrilled to have The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run, a premier, first-run movie from one of ViacomCBS’ biggest brands, join CBS All Access’ expanding slate of franchise content from across ViacomCBS. This launch will be perfectly timed with our continued expansion and planned rebranding of the service in early 2021, as we welcome SpongeBob and the gang from Bikini Bottom to the service in the biggest way possible.”
Mireille Soria, president of Paramount Animation added:
“I’m incredibly proud of this film, and the phenomenal cast and filmmaking team that made it happen. Bringing this movie to life was a true collaboration and labor of love, and I’m thrilled for audiences to enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Ramsey Naito, executive VP of Nickelodeon Animation Production and Development then said:
“We’re incredibly happy to give kids and families a much-deserved lift in any way we can, and the PVOD release of the new SpongeBob theatrical and putting all seasons of the TV series on CBS All Access are two of the best ways I can think of to get immersed in the optimism and joy that this terrific character represents.”
In this new story, Gary's been snailnapped, and SpongeBob and Patrick embark on a hilarious adventure to find him and save him. Here’s the synopsis:
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.
The show’s original voice cast came back for the film including Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence. They will be joined by Awkwafina, Keanu Reeves, Reggie Watts, and Snoop Dog even shows up!
Tim Hill, a former writer on the Nickelodeon series, directed the movie and wrote the screenplay with Michael Kvamme, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger.
Source: Variety