Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures announced the prolific voice actor will play The Flying Dutchman in the upcoming film during the 25th anniversary panel at Comic-Con.
Nickelodeon brought fans down to Bikini Bottom and beyond to celebrate SpongeBob SquarePants’ landmark 25thanniversary during an exclusive panel at SDCC 2024. Iconic voices Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton), along with executive producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller, kicked off the event with “Celebrating 25 Years of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.”
In a surprise live appearance, legendary actor Mark Hamill (Star Wars) announced his role as “The Flying Dutchman” in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming fourth theatrical film, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation, Hamill will lend his voice to “The Flying Dutchman,” a gruff and goofy ghost-pirate who will face off against SpongeBob in his newest underwater adventure. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is slated to hit theaters December 19, 2025.
Moderated by Kel Mitchell (Good Burger), the panel highlights also included:
- An exclusive clip reveal from Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, which debuted August 2 on Netflix. In the clip, Sandy and SpongeBob's pursuit to save the denizens of Bikini Bottom turns into a police pursuit, as the Cheeks family (voiced by Craig Robinson, Johnny Knoxville and Grey DeLisle) takes them along for the ride on a high-speed car chase.
Check out the exclusive clip:
- A first look at the one-hour special SpongeBob SquarePants, “Kreepaway Kamp,” which shows fan-favorite characters going to a reunion at Kamp Koral, including SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Pearl, Bubble Bass, Kevin C. Cucumber, Larry the Lobster, Mrs. Puff and more. The special is coming this Fall to Nickelodeon and Paramount+.
Catch the first look now:
- Veteran voice cast Kenny, Fagerbakke, Bumpass, and Brown conducted a live table read of the beloved 1999 pilot episode SpongeBob SquarePants, “Help Wanted,” where SpongeBob tries to get a job as a fry cook at The Krusty Krab restaurant.
- Lawrence and Mr. Lawrence performed a live table read from SpongeBob SquarePants, “Single-Celled Defense,” where Sandy teaches Plankton all about Karate and self-defense.
Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the most-watched animated series. SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount history, seen in more than 180 markets, translated in 30+ languages, and averaging more than 90 million total viewers every quarter.
Paramount+ is the streaming home for SpongeBob fans with more Bikini Bottom content than any other streaming service.
Source: Paramount+
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—Laurén brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
