‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ Sets AFI Fest World Premiere

Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced that The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies, in association with Domain Entertainment and MRC, will have its World Premiere at AFI Fest 2025 presented by Canva. The franchise’s latest feature film will be paired with the new short film from another beloved Nickelodeon animation universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In his latest big screen adventure, desperate to be a “big guy,” SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman — a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate — on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea where no sponge has gone before. The family-friendly film, directed by Derek Drymon, will screen in the afternoon on October 26, the Closing Day of the festival, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre as part of the Red Carpet Premieres section.

Passes are available at fest.afi.com.

“If nautical nonsense be something you wish, then join AFI for the World Premiere of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “SpongeBob is an American icon — absorbent and yellow and porous is he — and AFI is honored to host this celebration under the sea.”

The film features the voices of series stars Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton), joined by George Lopez, Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston, Arturo Castro and Sherry Cola, with Regina Hall and Mark Hamill. Search for SquarePants will be released in theaters nationwide on December 19.

Making its Los Angeles debut with the feature is the new short film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Chrome Along 2: Lost in New Jersey. From producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Jeff Rowe and Ramsay McBean and directed by Kent Seki, the film reunites audiences with the Turtle brothers from the 2023 feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem for a festive adventure: When a mysterious toy company seeks to profit off the turtles’ new hero status, the brothers follow the clues to New Jersey and make a shocking discovery in this all new original short.

AFI Fest will take place October 22–26 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood and feature a curated selection of Red Carpet Premieres, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films. As previously announced, Academy Awardwinning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will serve as the Guest Artistic Director for this year’s festival, and the festival will open with Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and will close with the World Premiere of Song Sung Blue.

Passes to AFI Fest 2025 are now available for purchase online at fest.afi.com. The full festival lineup will be unveiled on September 30. Individual tickets will be available on October 6.