How many SpongeBob SquarePants movies are there?

In 2004, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie made its way into cinemas. The animated adventure movie, based on the Nickelodeon cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, followed the story of SpongeBob and his friend, Patrick, as they set off on a quest to help Mr. Krabs.

Upon release, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was a hit with audiences, guaranteeing further big screen (and small screen) adventures for SpongeBob and his friends. But how many SpongeBob SquarePants movies are there and what is the correct viewing order?

To soak up all those details and more, keep reading!

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The SpongeBob SquarePants movies in order

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

The first entry in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series is the appropriately titled, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Released in 2004, this animated adventure comedy saw Plankton attempt to discredit his business rival, Mr. Krabs.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)

Upon release, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was both a critical and commercial success, taking over $141 million at the worldwide box-office from a budget of $30 million. Yet despite this, it took eleven years for a second movie to materialise.

When the second film finally appeared, it hit cinemas in 2015 under the titled The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. This film focused on the secret formula for Krabby Patties.

Once again, this movie was a critical and commercial success. Produced on a budget of around $74 million, the movie went on to take over $325 million at the worldwide box-office.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)

In 2020, a third SpongeBob movie debuted. This entry introduced some new characters and focused on SpongeBob’s journey to Atlantic City to rescue his kidnapped snail, Gary.

Unlike the previous two films, which were theatrical releases, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run received a hybrid release, opening in cinemas and streaming on Netflix, before moving to Paramount+ and on video-on-demand services.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024)

The next entry in the SpongeBob movie series is Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. This film focuses on Sandy and SpongeBob as they travel to Texas to save Bikini Bottom from an evil CEO.

This movie was released direct to Netflix.

Plankton: The Movie (2025)

For the fifth film in the series, Plankton: The Movie, the focus shifted to Plankton and his computer wife, Karen. As with Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, this film debuted on Netflix.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)

Following the ongoing success of the SpongeBob movies, a sixth film was put into production under the title The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The film sees SpongeBob travel to the bottom of the ocean to square off against the Flying Dutchman.

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The SpongeBob movies in order

To date there are six entries in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series. The movies appear in the following order:

• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024)
• Plankton: The Movie (2025)
• The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)

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Who are the cast of the SpongeBob SquarePants movies and are the SpongeBob SquarePants movies the work of the same director?

Notable cast members in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series include Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Mary Jo Catlett, Lori Alan, Jeffrey Tambor, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, David Hasselhoff, Antonio Banderas, Matt Berry, Keanu Reeves, Awkwafina, Danny Trejo, Snoop Dogg, Dee Bradley Baker, Kate Higgins, and Mark Hamill.

In terms of the directors, the SpongeBob SquarePants movies are the work of the following:

• Stephen Hillenburg and Mark Osborne directed The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
• Paul Tibbitt and Mike Mitchell directed The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
• Tim Hill directed The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
• Liza Johnson directed Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
• Dave Needham directed Plankton: The Movie
• Derek Drymon directed The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

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Which is the best SpongeBob SquarePants movie?

According to IMDb, the SpongeBob SquarePants movies are rated as follows:

• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) – 7.2/10
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) – 6.0/10
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) – 5.9/10
• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) – 3.7/10
• Plankton: The Movie (2025) – 5.3/10
• The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) – Not yet rated

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Editor/Writer/Information Sponge

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.