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The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

Play trailer 2:27 Poster for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants PG 2025 1h 28m Kids & Family Comedy Adventure Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 70 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Verified Ratings
SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest, all-new, can't miss cinematic event ever... The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman -- a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate -- on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.
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The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

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Critics Consensus

A self-contained adventure with spiffy animation and a sweet message embedded in its goofy goober-ness, The Search for SquarePants is one of SpongeBob's most delightful big-screen outings yet.

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Audience Says

Embrace the silliness and enjoy the Search for SquarePants, another SpongeBob Movie family outing that won’t disappoint fans of rear-end jokes.

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Critics Reviews

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Zaki Hasan San Francisco Chronicle Jan 2
3/4
"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" may not be the series’ most inspired cinematic outing, but it’s a likable one. Go to Full Review
Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) Dec 31
The whole movie is shaped this way: one for the kid, one for the grandparent. Go to Full Review
Mike McCahill Guardian Dec 30
3/5
Whether its spitballing silliness will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it’s a solid SpongeBob movie -- and by far the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Go to Full Review
Candice McMillan Seattle's Child 4d
Great for kids who like the show; not-so-great for adults who enjoy nuance and intellectual stimulation. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views 4d
Without being preachy, this animated film is entertaining and offers valuable lessons to kids and their grown-ups. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Sim ComingSoon.net 6d
4/10
While children will have a blast with this film, the parents and childless adults in the audience may have a lesser time with this poor entry into the SpongeBob movie series. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Demetrius 1d had funny parts of the movie for adults to laugh at See more Bob 1d It was really good besides a security persons scared us cause she walked and stayed right behind us and we didn’t see her See more sample_text 4d ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⠖⠉⠀⢹⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⠞⠁⢀⠀⢠⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡴⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣼⡇⢀⣤⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣽⠉⠀⠘⠻⠟⠀⢠⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⡠⠤⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡞⠉⡈⡱⠮⠉⠙⡄⠀⠈⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣇⠀⠀⠙⢦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣾⠀⠼⣿⠃⢼⡧⠄⡄⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⠖⠊⠉⣣ ⠹⡆⠀⠀⠀⠉⠲⣄⠀⠀⠀⢸⢦⣀⡰⢧⣀⣀⡴⡁⠀⠀⣷⠀⠀⠀⢀⡠⠖⠉⠀⠀⠀⢰⠇ ⠀⠹⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠑⢦⣠⠏⣄⡀⠀⠀⣀⣠⣤⣿⠓⠀⠸⡀⣠⠔⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⠃⠀ ⠀⠀⠙⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠏⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⡠⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡞⠁⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⣠⠏⠠⣤⣿⠟⠛⠟⢋⡽⠋⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢦⠀⡴⠃⠀⠀⠈⠙⠓⠒⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡏⠀⡤⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠞⠹⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⠿⣦⣄⠀⠀⣴⣤⣀⠀⠀⠁⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⡾⢻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⡄⢹⠛⣿⣶⣬⣉⡁⠀⠀⠀⠂⠀⠀⠀⣀⣠⣴⡾⠟⠉⠀⡎⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⡈⣻⠋⠀⠉⢻⡛⠛⢿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠛⠋⠉⠀⠀⣀⣀⡼⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⢯⡓⠦⠤⠼⠙⠒⠋⠀⠀⠀⠂⠀⠀⠀⡰⠋⢀⡞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣇⠀⠈⠓⠦⢤⣀⣀⠀⠀⣀⠀⠀⠂⠀⣠⢍⣾⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡷⠢⠤⠤⢤⠼⠈⠉⠉⢻⡄⠀⠀⠂⡇⢀⣸⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣄⠀⢀⡞⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣏⠓⠚⠉⢫⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠓⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢦⡀⢀⠞⠀⠀⠀⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣉⣁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠂⠂⠀⠀⠀ See more David 5d had low expectations going in but was met with a delightful fun and silly movie with genuinely funny jokes and charming character moments. See more Drayez W 5d good movie good night, 8.5/10 See more CmL Jan 26 my kids are 7-9 they like it. very silly/funny for KIDS . ( underwear/ butt type jokes ) See more Read all reviews
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

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The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants: Movie Clip - What is Happening? The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants: Movie Clip - What is Happening? 0:52 The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants: Exclusive Movie Clip - Hero's Journey The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants: Exclusive Movie Clip - Hero's Journey 0:59 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest, all-new, can't miss cinematic event ever... The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman -- a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate -- on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.
Director
Derek Drymon
Producer
Lisa Stewart, Pam Brady, Aaron Dem
Screenwriter
Pam Brady, Matt Lieberman, Derek Drymon
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Rating
PG (Rude Humor|Action|Some Scary Images)
Genre
Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 19, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 20, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA)
$69.5M
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
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