In another timeline, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run would've hit U.S. theaters on May 22. But then, 2020 happened. SpongeBob saw its theatrical premiere pushed back to August and limited to Canada. Now, SpongeBob's first all-CGI adventure is finally heading to streaming--everywhere but here in the United States, where it will finally arrive in early 2021. Oh, and it won't show up on Netflix even then.

　　After ViacomCBS rescheduled and re-rescheduled the theatrical debut of SpongeBob's third movie, the studio finally was forced to cancel it entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the studio announced that the movie would head for streaming services. Netflix picked up international distribution rights for the movie. If you have friends in the UK, Japan, or any other country where Netflix operates, they can already watch Sponge on the Run.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter

　　Now Playing: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) - Official Trailer

　　Here in the U.S., though, ViacomCBS is in charge of distributing the Paramount Animation-produced flick. The company plans to put SpongeBob on premium video-on-demand services in early 2021. Once the movie's PVOD period ends, it'll move to CBS All Access, recently rebranded as Paramount+.

　　Talking to Looper last month, SpongeBob director Tim Hill expressed disappointment in the movie's strange release timeline.

　　"It's terrible. I was hoping for a big fanfare and a great premiere and seeing all the people I worked with, and doing a cast and crew screening, being able to at least thank people, which never happened," said Hill, who also directed the similarly COVID-affected Robert DeNiro family comedy, The War with Grandpa. "It was just what we're doing now, like, 'Bye. Movie's over.' It didn't feel natural, for sure."

　　While Netflix is promising no COVID-related delays, studios have pushed back countless movies and television shows. Delayed movies include Fast & Furious 9, Marvel's Black Widow, and the latest 007 movie, No Time To Die. Television has seen just as many shifts, with CW shows like Supergirl, The Flash, and Riverdale ending early. Premieres of shows like Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime, and the Handmaid's Tale on Hulu have all been pushed into 2021.

　　Eric Frederiksen on Google+