Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies are inviting fans back to Bikini Bottom with the first trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The trailer, released today, gives audiences a first look at Ice Spice in her voice acting debut, along with her original track “Big Guy,” which drops everywhere tonight.
The film follows SpongeBob as he embarks on his biggest adventure yet, desperate to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs. He sets off to track down the Flying Dutchman, a ghostly pirate, diving into the deepest parts of the ocean where no sponge has gone before.
Joining franchise favorites Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton) are George Lopez, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, and Mark Hamill. Hall voices the character Barb, while Hamill steps in as the infamous Flying Dutchman.
The film is directed by Derek Drymon, a long-time SpongeBob series veteran, from a screenplay by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, with a story by Brady and series creatives Marc Ceccarelli and Kaz. Producers Lisa Stewart, Pam Brady, and Aaron Dem lead the production, with executive producers Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, and Andrew Lary.
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants marks the fourth theatrical outing for the underwater gang, following The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), Sponge Out of Water (2015), and Sponge on the Run (2021). It also continues the franchise’s expansion with Netflix spinoffs including Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) and Plankton: The Movie (2025).
The film premiered at the AFI Film Festival on October 26, 2025, and hits U.S. theaters on December 19, 2025. Rated PG for rude humor, mild language, and some thematic elements, it promises fun for kids and nostalgia for longtime fans.
Check out the trailer and stay tuned for Ice Spice’s new single “Big Guy,” available tonight.