The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)
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SpongeBob embarks on a perilous journey into the Underworld to prove his bravery and become a swashbuckler.
The story
SpongeBob SquarePants discovers he is tall enough to ride an intense roller coaster but is too afraid to do so. Seeking to prove his bravery, he learns from Mr. Krabs about the pirate's life. Upon finding Mr. Krabs' secret basement, SpongeBob accidentally summons The Flying Dutchman, a ghost pirate. The Dutchman offers to help SpongeBob become a swashbuckler by taking him and Patrick Star into his crew. Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs, realizing he misled SpongeBob about his own past, sets out with Squidward and Gary to rescue his friends from the Underworld.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
SpongeBob SquarePants finds himself too afraid to ride a roller coaster and seeks to prove his bravery by becoming a swashbuckler. After accidentally summoning the ghost pirate, The Flying Dutchman, in Mr. Krabs' basement, SpongeBob and Patrick are taken into the Dutchman's crew. Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Gary eventually join the search to rescue them. The Dutchman puts SpongeBob through trials, which he passes by mimicking Mr. Krabs' actions. However, the Dutchman eventually forces Mr. Krabs to admit he was merely a fry cook, not a swashbuckler. Believing he is no longer believed by his friend, SpongeBob blows the Dutchman's horn, which swaps the curse, turning SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs into bearded ghosts while the Dutchman becomes human and flees to Santa Monica. His assistant, Barb, tells them they must destroy the horn before sunset to break the curse. After reuniting with Patrick, they pursue the Dutchman onto a roller coaster. Mr. Krabs encourages SpongeBob to use his bubble-blowing skills; SpongeBob traps the horn in a bubble and destroys it, reversing the curse. The Dutchman is demoted to kitchen duty, and Barb becomes the new captain, while the group realizes they left Squidward behind in the Underworld.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Derek Drymon
- Writers
- Pam Brady · screenplay; Matt Lieberman · screenplay; Marc Ceccarelli · story; Kaz · story; Pam Brady · story
- Cast and characters
- Tom Kenny · SpongeBob SquarePants and Gary the Snail; Clancy Brown · Mr. Krabs; Rodger Bumpass · Squidward Tentacles; Bill Fagerbakke · Patrick Star; Carolyn Lawrence · Sandy Cheeks; Mr. Lawrence · Plankton; Regina Hall · Barb, the Flying Dutchman's assistant; Mark Hamill · The Flying Dutchman; George Lopez · JK Fishlips, a fish executive at Paramount; Isis "Ice Spice" Gaston · a ticket taker fish; Arturo Castro · a Santa Monica ride operator; Sherry Cola · a studio spokesperson and a Krusty Krab patron
- Genres
- animated; adventure; comedy
- Themes
- bravery; identity; friendship
- Tone and mood
- wacky; humorous; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- quest; supernatural; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- SpongeBob SquarePants television series
- Franchise connections
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $169 million worldwide on a budget of $64 million.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 17; PostTrak · score: 70% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- The film was originally developed as a direct-to-streaming film focused on Mr. Krabs.; The animation style was inspired by 1960s plasticware and toys to look more handmade.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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