The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is a 2015 American 3D live-action/animated comedy film inspired by the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. A stand-alone sequel to The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), it was directed by former series showrunner Paul Tibbitt in his directorial debut, with live-action sequences directed by Mike Mitchell. The film stars Antonio Banderas and features the show's regular voice cast, who returned to reprise their respective roles from the series and the previous film. The plot follows a pirate called Burger Beard, who steals the Krabby Patty secret formula using a magical book that makes any text written upon it come true. SpongeBob and his friends must travel to the surface to confront Burger Beard and get the formula back.
The film was written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger from a story conceived by Tibbitt and SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg. Like the first film, the final act places the animated characters in a live-action world. These scenes were shot in various locations throughout Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island. Filming began on October 9, 2013 and completed in November 2013. The film is dedicated to Ernest Borgnine, the original voice of Mermaid Man who died in 2012.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water was released in the United States on February 6, 2015. The film grossed over $323 million worldwide against its $74 million budget, making it the fifth highest-grossing animated film of 2015.
A third film, tentatively titled The SpongeBob Movie 3, is scheduled to be released on August 2, 2019.
Story
A pirate named Burger Beard travels to Bikini Atoll, where he obtains a magical book with the power to make any text written upon it real. The book tells the story of SpongeBob SquarePants and his adventures in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant, where he cooks burgers called Krabby Patties and works for Mr. Krabs. He has spent years guarding the secret Krabby Patty formula from Plankton, the owner of a competing restaurant called the Chum Bucket.
One day, Plankton attacks the Krusty Krab in an attempt to steal the formula. After a military battle involving giant foods and condiments, Plankton feigns surrender. He uses a decoy of himself to give Mr. Krabs a fake penny, which the real Plankton then hides inside in order to gain access to Krabs' vault. As the decoy distracts Mr. Krabs, Plankton steals the formula, leaving a fake in its place. SpongeBob catches Plankton and the two engage in a tug of war over the formula, which magically vanishes before anyone can claim it.
Without the secret formula, Krabby Patties cannot be made, causing customers to become ravenous. SpongeBob is the only one who believes Plankton is innocent and creates a giant soap bubble for them to fly away in. Bikini Bottom is immediately reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland due to the absence of the much-relied-on Krabby Patty. A page of the book is discarded in the ocean and lands on Sandy Cheeks' treedome and assumes the page is a sign from the "sandwich gods". SpongeBob proposes he and Plankton team up to find the formula. SpongeBob tries to explain the concept of teamwork to Plankton, who does not quite understand. Together, they travel back in time to the moment before the formula disappeared, and the two head to the Chum Bucket to rescue Karen, whom they intend to help power a time machine. They assemble the machine and end up traveling far into the future, where they meet Bubbles, a magical dolphin who acts as an overseer of the galaxy, and inadvertently get him fired. SpongeBob and Plankton succeed in retrieving the formula, but it turns out to be the fake one Plankton had left.
Burger Beard converts his pirate ship into a food truck to sell Krabby Patties at a beach community. Sandy suggests a sacrifice be made to appease the gods. As the town attempts to sacrifice SpongeBob, he and Mr. Krabs smell Krabby Patties. The townsfolk follow the scent, which leads to the surface. Bubbles returns and, revealing that he hated his job, repays SpongeBob by granting him and his sea creature friends the ability to breathe on land; Plankton also joins by stowing away in SpongeBob's sock. Bubbles launches SpongeBob and the others out of his blowhole to the surface.
The team soon lands on a beach and finds the source of the Krabby Patty scent: Burger Beard's food truck. Burger Beard reveals he stole the formula by using the book to rewrite the story and then uses it to banish the gang to Pelican Island. SpongeBob uses the book's page to transform himself and the others into superheroes with special powers – The Invincibubble (SpongeBob), Mr. Superawesomeness (Patrick), Sour Note (Squidward), The Rodent (Sandy), and Sir Pinch-a-Lot (Mr. Krabs). They return and find Burger Beard, who runs away with the formula, forcing the team to give chase. During the ensuing battle, the team manages to destroy the book, but Burger Beard overpowers them one by one.
Having been left on Pelican Island, Plankton becomes a muscle-bound hero named Plank-Ton and comes to assist them. Plankton and SpongeBob create one final attack to defeat Burger Beard and retrieve the formula. After sending Burger Beard flying to Bikini Atoll, Plankton returns the formula to Mr. Krabs, having learned the value of teamwork. The gang uses the final page's magic to return home to Bikini Bottom. With Krabby Patties back, the city is finally returned to normal and Plankton re-assumes his role as business rival, thus returning everything to the status quo.
Directed by Paul Tibbitt
Screenplay by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Story by Stephen Hillenburg Paul Tibbitt
Based on SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg
Starring Antonio Banderas
Music by John Debney
Cinematography Phil Méheux
Edited by David Ian Salter
Release date January 28, 2015 (Belgium), February 6, 2015 (United States)
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $74 million
Box office $325.1 million
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