The upcoming SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is foregoing its planned theatrical release and heading straight to digital rental services and will be available to stream exclusively on CBS All Access in early 2021. Sponge on the Run is SpongeBob’s third full-length feature film and will be his first-ever all CGI film.
Originally reported by Variety, this change in the release is unsurprising given the current landscape of delayed releases as movie theaters nationwide begin preparing to reopen amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Sponge on the Run was initially set to debut on May 22nd before it was delayed to its current release date of August 7th.
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Regarding the exclusive launch on CBS All Access in 2021, ViacomCBS Digital’s CEO Marc DeBevoise said in a statement, “We are thrilled to have ‘The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run,’ a premier, first-run movie from one of ViacomCBS’ biggest brands, join CBS All Access’ expanding slate of franchise content from across ViacomCBS. This launch will be perfectly timed with our continued expansion and planned rebranding of the service in early 2021, as we welcome SpongeBob and the gang from Bikini Bottom to the service in the biggest way possible.”
CBS All-Access will undergo a rebranding early next year to highlight more of its family of networks’ content including that of Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, and more. The streaming service will also include every season of SpongeBob SquarePants.
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This is just one more addition to the list of movies that have skipped their planned theatrical releases this year in lieu of a digital-only release including Trolls World Tour, Artemis Fowl, Scoob!, as well as many others.
While you wait for SpongeBob’s next adventure, be sure to check out our review of CBS All Access and how it compares to other streaming services. If you’re looking for more F.U.N., you can also hear our thoughts on the upcoming SpongeBob: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated game.
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Matthew Adler is a Features and News writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream a variety of games on Twitch.
Source: IGN.com The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Is Now a Digital-Only Release