Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
Promotional release poster
Directed by	Liza Johnson
Screenplay by	Tom Stern Kaz
Story by	Kaz
Based on	SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg
Produced by	Robert Engleman
Starring	Carolyn Lawrence Tom Kenny Clancy Brown Bill Fagerbakke Mr. Lawrence Rodger Bumpass Ilia Isorelýs Paulino Matty Cardarople Wanda Sykes
Cinematography	Greg Gardiner
Edited by	Billy Weber Matthew Feinman
Music by	Moniker
Production company	Nickelodeon Movies
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie is a 2024 American adventure comedy film based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg. It was directed by Liza Johnson and written by Tom Stern and Kaz, based on a story by Kaz. The film stars the series' regular voice cast and includes new characters (both live-action and animated) performed by Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Matty Cardarople, and Wanda Sykes. The plot follows Sandy and SpongeBob as they venture to Sandy's home state of Texas to save Bikini Bottom from the hands of an evil CEO. It is the first in a series of SpongeBob character spin-off films.

The film was first conceived during a pitching session for ideas for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). In March 2020, ViacomCBS announced that it would be producing SpongeBob spin-off films for streaming television. In May 2021, a spin-off film featuring the character Sandy as its lead was announced, with Johnson, Kaz, and Stern all attached. Animation services were provided by Sinking Ship Entertainment and Pipeline Studios in Ontario, Canada, and Moniker composed the original score.

Prior to its release, the entire film was leaked on January 21, 2024, as a video upload on Twitter. Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie released on Netflix on August 2, 2024. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and audiences.

When Bikini Bottom is suddenly scooped out of the ocean, Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob SquarePants journey to Sandy's home state of Texas, where they meet Sandy's family and must save Bikini Bottom from the hands of an evil CEO. ^[1]

Executive producer Marc Ceccarelli pitched Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie during a session of pitching ideas for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). The idea got passed on, but a few years later, when the team wanted to do a Sandy Cheeks-centric story, he brought it back up and it was put into development. ^[2] Director Liza Johnson was a newcomer to the world of animation. She was hired to direct the film because of her work on the season 2 episode of What We Do in the Shadows, " The Curse", which had Ceccarelli's favorite joke in the series. ^[2] Carolyn Lawrence, the voice actor of Sandy, had heard whispers at work of a Sandy-related project in the works and described herself as being in shock when she received a phone call confirming it. Lawrence praised Johnson's vision for the film and immediately loved the script. ^[2]

In March 2020, it was reported that ViacomCBS would be producing two spin-off films based on the series SpongeBob SquarePants for Netflix. ^[3] In May 2021, a spin-off film with Sandy as its lead character was announced to be in development from Nickelodeon for streaming television, to be directed by Johnson from a script written by Kaz and Tom J. Stern and described as a hybrid feature that will put the animated title character into a live-action setting. ^[4] In August 2021, it was revealed that plans to film Saving Bikini Bottom in Los Alamos were scrapped due to rewrites of the script. ^{[5] [6]}

In February 2022, during an investor call, Nickelodeon CEO Brian Robbins said that three SpongeBob character-driven spin-off films were in the works and that they would release exclusively on streamer Paramount+, with the first one premiering in 2023. ^[7] However, in April 2023, it was reported that Saving Bikini Bottom would instead debut on Netflix in 2024. ^[1] That same month, in addition to a first-look reveal, it was revealed that Wanda Sykes, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, and Matty Cardarople were part of the cast. Series regulars Carolyn Lawrence, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, and Rodger Bumpass were also confirmed to reprise their roles. ^{[1] [8]}

Greg Gardiner served as the film's cinematographer for its live-action scenes. ^[9] Animation was provided by Pipeline Studios and Sinking Ship Entertainment in Ontario, Canada. ^[10] Spin VFX in Ontario and ReDefine Animation in Montreal, Canada, completed the live-action VFX parts of the film. ^[10] Johnson started work early on to storyboard the entire film and together with animation supervisor, Piero Piluso, create an integrated look for the mix of live-action and animation. As a newcomer to animation, Johnson felt the process was a learning experience for both parties. ^[2] The combination of the new animation style, story requirements, and technical and budget limitations were factors in deciding how scenes would look to make certain "that everything that people love and care about each character is still present, even though we’re doing it in new conditions". ^[2]

Moniker composed its original score. ^[11] The film's soundtrack album was released by Lakeshore Records on August 2, 2024, the same day as the film. ^[12] It features the Sandy Cheeks Theme based on the SpongeBob Squarepants theme, and performed by Tami Neilson. ^[12] Additional original songs were written by Neilson, Linda Perry, Kaz, Jacques Brautbar, and Chantal Claret. ^[12]

Prior to its release, the entire film was leaked on January 21, 2024, as a video upload on Twitter. ^[13] Saving Bikini Bottom officially released on Netflix on August 2, 2024. ^[14]

Catherine Bray of The Guardian gave the film a three out of five star rating. They commended its entertainment value and appeal to younger audiences and concluded, "For general viewers, it may not pack as much of an emotional punch, but like SpongeBob himself, it’s thoroughly absorbing." ^[15] Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky praised the film for its humor, animation, and story and said, "Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie delivers the same type of jokes that SpongeBob SquarePants fans are used to, but it also tells a heartwarming story and allows viewers to finally meet Sandy and see where she comes from." ^[16] Adam Graham of The Detroit News gave the film a C grade. They felt it retained the series' irreverent humour but in a way that did not connect and criticized it for being overly busy, undercooked, and "feeling like a knockoff rather than a spinoff". ^[17] Barry Levitt of The Daily Beast largely disliked the film, citing its sidelining of main characters, underdeveloped new characters, lackluster animation and script. He said, "Sandy has always been a delightful if underappreciated part of Bikini Bottom, but the movie fails to give her the spotlight she rightfully deserves. Its initial promise is washed out by cheap jokes, an uninspired plot, and off-putting animation". ^[18]

• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie on Netflix
• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie at IMDb