The COVID-19 pandemic has changed release date plans for countless movies, and SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run has undergone a lot of shifts in recent months. Originally set to arrive in theaters this summer, it was later delayed, and then moved to paid VOD platforms early next year instead of a traditional theatrical run.
Later, it was announced that Paramount Pictures is instead sending the animated feature to CBS All Access in an exclusive deal which means Spongebob Squarepants fans will have to sign up and pay for that streaming service if they want to see this latest adventure for the iconic character.
There is, however, good news for those of you outside of the United States. Variety reports that Netflix has picked up the foreign rights to Sponge on the Run, meaning it will premiere directly on the platform in 2021. This doesn't apply to China, while Paramount has plans for a different sort of release in Canada (what that will consist of isn't explained) before it heads to Netflix.
The reported budget for the movie is $60 million, and Paramount Pictures has come out fairly well thanks to these deals with CBS All Access and Netflix. However, when the character's second movie was released in 2015, it grossed over $350 million, so had the world been normal, the studio would have made a whole lot more.
Needless to say, with everything that's happening thanks to COVID-19, it will be interesting seeing whether other studios follow a similar path to Sponge on the Run so they can at least break even.
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