Netflix Announces 'Plankton: The Movie' For 2025; Releases New 'Saving Bikini Bottom' Images
Netflix Announces 'Plankton: The Movie' For 2025; Releases New 'Saving Bikini Bottom' Images
Netflix, in possession of SpongeBob’s spinoff movie formula, has handed the next installment to Plankton
The algae is always greener, but Sheldon J. Plankton’s spotlight movie won’t be in Paramount+’s blue waters, instead Netflix’s red. Netflix unveiled Plankton: The Movie on Thursday as part of their Next on Netflix: Animation presentation for a 2025 release. It is the sixth film in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise and the second of the character-based spinoff films, along with Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, which was included in the festivities to hype its August 2 premiere.
Plankton: The Movie will be the third SpongeBob movie in 16 months, and second in 2025, as the fourth mainline/theatrically-released film, subtitled The Search for SquarePants is set for December 19. Quite the odd one out being titled Character: The Movie breaking the The Character Movie norm. The plot right now is pretty vague, telling how Plankton’s world is flipped upside down when his plan for world domination is thwarted once again.
Plankton: The Movie is very much Plankton’s movie. While directed by Dave Needham, the Chum Bucket proprietor’s voice actor Mr. Lawrence is co-writing with Kaz and Chris Viscardi from a story wholly his. The executive producers are longtime staff Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller. Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper wrote the music with music supervisors Karyn Rachtman and Otis Ratchman, and the film will feature original songs written by Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords, Linda Perry, Mark Mothersbaugh & Bob Mothersbaugh.
As is usual for a SpongeBob spinoff, nobody from the main cast is removed from the scenario. In addition to Lawrence, we have Jill Talley as Plankton’s computer wife Karen, Tom Kenny as SpongeBob (and maybe Gary), Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy, Clancy Brown as rival Mr. Krabs, and Rodger Bumpass as Squidward. And heck maybe Lawrence has put in some work as his other characters like Larry the Lobster. As seen in the promo images, Plankton’s pet amoeba Spot, who has appeared more regularly since a 2017 season 11 episode that followed up from a 2013 season 9 debut, will be part of the film. Only Mary Jo Catlett’s Mrs. Puff is missing, but even then the live action cast piece in “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout” might indicate she hasn’t entered that ring. The closest Puff has gotten to Plankton is befriending Karen anyway.
The new images from Saving Bikini Bottom don’t show much plotwise but they’re pretty. The only character that isn’t main cast featured is Craig Robinson as Pa Cheeks, Sandy’s dad. In the sizzle reel, the film’s portion chose to push Wanda Sykes and Johnny Knoxville as the stars. They play the live action villain Sue Nahmee and Sandy’s presumed brother Randy Cheeks. In addition to the aforementioned regulars, the Liza Johnson-directed film also features Grey Griffin as both Ma and Granny Cheeks, Isorelýs Paulino, and Matty Cardarople. As a plot reminder, Sandy and SpongeBob must journey to Texas to save Bikini Bottom and all its denizens when it’s all scooped out of the ocean.
It is truly unclear if Paramount+ still has its own set of SpongeBob spinoff movies, as they were reported to have in 2022. Whether they were canceled or were the Netflix ones misreported to be theirs, there’s all sorts of possibilities.
Source: Deadline
I suspect Netflix is paying Nickelodeon royalties for this stuff?