Happy 20th Birthday to the perky yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Nickelodeon is kicking of SpongeBob’s Best Year Ever with a new one-hour Birthday special that features both the animated characters and their live-action alter egos.
The cast of “SpongeBob SquarePants” will be discussing the “Big Birthday Blowout” episode next week at San Diego Comic-Con. There, they will likely also share some inside info on the upcoming third feature film, “It’s a Wonderful Sponge”, set to open in May.
“The Farewell” actress Awkwafina and “The Late Late Show with James Corden” bandleader Reggie Watts were recently announced as part of the cast. And Snoop Dogg told Jimmy Kimmel and viewers of one of his “Game Night” specials in June (while wearing an SB necklace) that he’s also appearing in the movie.
“It’s a Wonderful Sponge” is set to take us back to when SpongeBob first met Patrick and others, at Kamp Koral, when they were 10 years old. It’s unclear if the title leads us to believe there will be an “It’s a Wonderful Life” type of component. But production on the third theatrical film, which will also present the characters in CGI, must be going well. Nickelodeon has already ordered 13 episodes of a “Kamp Koral” series that will certainly tie into the movie.
Less than a year after the passing of show creator Stephen Hillenburg, “SpongeBob” is looking to reinvent itself for a new generation. But at the same time, the show needs to stay loyal to its core fans, which I definitely think it will. “SpongeBob” is one of only a few animated series to enter its third decade and still produce new content. It’s one of the all-time greats, and one of Nickelodeon’s most valued properties – that doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon.