The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water's $56 million debut is up 75 percent on SpongeBob's first movie, "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie", which received a $32 million opening when released in 2004. It ranks fifth all-time in the month of February behind Valentine's Day ($56.3 million).
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water's audience was 53 percent male and 60 percent under the age of 25. They awarded the movie a "B" CinemaScore, which is below-average for this genre, but in line with its 75 percent positive Rotten Tomatoes score. Still, with zero competition for the next four weeks, The SpongeBob Movie will almost certainly earn over $150 million total!
While not committing to a sequel on Sunday 8th February 2015, Meghan Collison, president of worldwide distribution and marketing at Paramount said that it's "a good bet" that Nickelodeon and Paramount will release a third SpongeBob SquarePants theatrical movie in the coming years, and mentioned that Nickelodeon deserves a lot of credit for how it has managed the ever popular SpongeBob brand.
"They've taken a TV show that people love and infiltrated it into the culture so many ways you don’t even notice, like even some of Katy Perry's looks, and I think we benefited from that."
Additionally, the $74 million family title made a nice splash last weekend overseas, where it grossed $8 million from its first five territories - Taiwan, Iceland, Mexico, Belgium and Holland.
"Out of Water" opens eleven years after "The Spongebob SquarePants Movie" played in theaters in 2004, grossing north of $130 million globally. The first film was directed by Stephen Hillenburg, creator of the television show. This time, series writer and executive producer Paul Tibbitt directs, with regular cast members Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Carolyn Lawrence and Mr. Lawrence reprising their roles. The movie also stars Antonio Banderas as the villainous pirate Burger Beard, "The IT Crowd" star Matt Berry as the voice of Bubbles, and former former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash as himself.
"The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" will be released in Digital 3D and 2D in cinemas across the UK on Friday 20th March 2015!
Sources: The Wrap, Box Office Mojo, NICKandMORE, Toon Zone forums member BeanoMaster.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and SpongeBob SquarePants News and Highlights!
