National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies released The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie in November 2004, bringing Bikini Bottom's most beloved fry cook to the big screen for the first time. Directed by series creator Stephen Hillenburg, the film served as a theatrical send-off to the original creative vision of the television series, blending hand-drawn animation with live-action sequences. It performed strongly at the box office and has since earned a devoted following among fans of the original run.

This 35mm cell, titled SpongeBob SquarePants and Customer, captures SpongeBob SquarePants within what appears to be a darkened interior setting, with shelving or stage elements visible behind him. The three frames are near-identical, preserving a quiet, sustained moment from the production and offering collectors a faithful fragment of the film's original photochemical print.