The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

{{Infobox film

| image = The SpongeBob Movie Search for SquarePants.jpg

| caption = Official logo

| director = Derek Drymon

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

}}

| story = {{Plainlist|

Pam Brady
Kaz
Andrew Goodman

}}

| based_on = {{Based on|SpongeBob SquarePants|Stephen Hillenburg}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Pam Brady
Lisa Stewart
Aaron Dem

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography =

| editing =

| music = John Debney

| studio = {{Plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Paramount Pictures

| released = {{Film date|2025|12|19|}}

| runtime =

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is an upcoming American animated adventure comedy film based on the SpongeBob SquarePants television series, created by Stephen Hillenburg. The film is directed by series veteran Derek Drymon and stars the show's regular voice cast alongside Mark Hamill. The plot follows SpongeBob as he travels to the depths of the ocean to face off against the Flying Dutchman. It is the fourth theatrical film based on the series, following Sponge on the Run in 2020.

The film was written by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, from a story conceived by Brady, Kaz, and Andrew Goodman. Development on a fourth main SpongeBob film had begun by February 2022. By April 2023, Drymon had been hired to direct the film. In July 2024, Hamill announced that he would play the Flying Dutchman in the film, replacing Brian Doyle-Murray, who had provided the character's voice in the series. John Debney composed the film's score, after having scored the second film.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants will be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 19, 2025.

Premise

The film follows SpongeBob, as he travels to the deepest depths of the ocean to face off against the Flying Dutchman.

Voice cast

{{see also|List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters|l1=List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters}}

Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Chris |date=April 11, 2024 |title='The Smurfs Movie' Sets Starry Cast to Join Rihanna; Dave Bautista, Eric Nam Board 'Airbender' Franchise |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-smurfs-movie-cast-rihanna-1235871717/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411195605/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-smurfs-movie-cast-rihanna-1235871717/ |archive-date=April 11, 2024 |access-date=April 11, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs
Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles
Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star
Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks
Mr. Lawrence as Plankton
Mark Hamill as The Flying Dutchman{{Cite web |last=Stephan |first=Katcy |date=July 25, 2024 |title=Mark Hamill Joins The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants as The Flying Dutchman |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/spongebob-squarepants-comic-con-panel-1236083257/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726014132/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/spongebob-squarepants-comic-con-panel-1236083257/ |archive-date=July 26, 2024 |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Production

A fourth theatrical SpongeBob SquarePants film was officially confirmed to be in development in February 2022.{{cite web |author=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=February 15, 2022 |title=SpongeBob Universe Expands With Three Paramount+ Spinoff Movies, New Theatrical Film |url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/spongebob-squarepants-paramount-plus-movies-theatrical-1234933589/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217061824/https://deadline.com/2022/02/spongebob-squarepants-paramount-plus-movies-theatrical-1234933589/ |archive-date=February 17, 2022 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} In April 2023, during Paramount Pictures' CinemaCon panel, it was announced that the film would be titled The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, with series veteran Derek Drymon set to direct the film.{{cite web |author=Welk |first=Brian |date=April 27, 2023 |title=Paramount Gets Animated with CinemaCon Presentation |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2023/04/spongebob-squarepants-4-transformers-one-animated-cast-1234833032/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427185711/https://www.indiewire.com/2023/04/spongebob-squarepants-4-transformers-one-animated-cast-1234833032/ |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |access-date=April 27, 2023 |work=IndieWire}} The screenplay was written by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, with a story by Brady, Kaz, and Andrew Goodman.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 3, 2025 |title=CinemaCon: Paramount Updates 'Last Airbender' Movie Title |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/04/cinemacon-paramount-updates-last-airbender-movie-title/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250404051438/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/04/cinemacon-paramount-updates-last-airbender-movie-title/ |archive-date=April 4, 2025 |access-date=April 4, 2025 |website=Animation Magazine |language=en-US}} Brady, Lisa Stewart, and Aaron Dem serve as producers. Nickelodeon Movies and MRC co-produce.

In April 2024, it was reported that the show's regular voice cast of Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, and Mr. Lawrence would reprise their roles. At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Mark Hamill announced that he would play the Flying Dutchman, replacing his long-time voice actor Brian Doyle-Murray from the series.{{Cite web |last=Sherlock |first=Ben |date=July 25, 2024 |title=Mark Hamill's New SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Role Reveals OG Character Has Been Recast After 25 Years |url=https://screenrant.com/spongebob-squarepants-movie-2025-flying-dutchman-mark-hamill-recast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726022159/https://screenrant.com/spongebob-squarepants-movie-2025-flying-dutchman-mark-hamill-recast/ |archive-date=July 26, 2024 |access-date=July 28, 2024 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}}

=Music=

In April 2025, it was reported that John Debney would compose the film's score, after having previously composed the score for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015).{{cite web |date=April 15, 2025 |title=John Debney Scoring Derek Drymon’s ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants’ |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/04/15/john-debney-scoring-derek-drymons-the-spongebob-movie-4-search-for-squarepants/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250419060852/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/04/15/john-debney-scoring-derek-drymons-the-spongebob-movie-4-search-for-squarepants/ |archive-date=April 19, 2025 |access-date=April 16, 2025 |website=Film Music Reporter}}

Release

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is scheduled for theatrical release on December 19, 2025, by Paramount Pictures.{{cite web |author=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=October 23, 2023 |title=Mission: Impossible 8 Jumps To 2025; A Quiet Place: Day One Goes To Summer In 2024 Theatrical Shake-Up Due To Actors Strike |url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-2-quiet-place-day-one-actors-strike-1235580981/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102213708/https://deadline.com/2023/10/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-2-quiet-place-day-one-actors-strike-1235580981/ |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |access-date=October 23, 2023 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} It was previously scheduled for May 23, 2025,{{cite web |author=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=November 10, 2022 |title=Paramount Sets Dates For New SpongeBob & Aang Avatar Animated Movies |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/spongebob-squarepants-aang-avatar-animation-movies-release-dates-1235169468/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110222823/https://deadline.com/2022/11/spongebob-squarepants-aang-avatar-animation-movies-release-dates-1235169468/ |archive-date=November 10, 2022 |access-date=November 10, 2022 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} but was pushed back to December 19, 2025, with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning taking the May 2025 slot due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.