Mark Hamill Joins The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

Nickelodeon brought fans down to Bikini Bottom and beyond to celebrate SpongeBob SquarePants‘ landmark 25th anniversary during an exclusive panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 25.

The panel in Hall H featured appearances from 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.

Legendary actor Mark Hamill (Star Wars) surprised the audience by announcing 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 as 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 on December 19, 2025.

An exclusive clip was revealed from the upcoming movie Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, available August 2 on Netflix. In the clip, Sandy and SpongeBob’s pursuit of saving 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.

The panel also debuted a first look at the one-hour special SpongeBob SquarePants, “Kreepaway Kamp.“ The special shows fan-favorite characters, including SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Pearl, Bubble Bass, Kevin C. Cucumber, Larry the Lobster, Mrs. Puff, and more, going to a reunion at Kamp Koral.

In Kreepaway Kamp, while at Kamp Koral for a reunion, SpongeBob and the gang are stalked by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows as campers start disappearing one by one! The special is coming this fall to Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

Veteran voice cast Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), and Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs) conducted a live table read of the beloved 1999 pilot episode SpongeBob SquarePants, “Help Wanted,“ in which SpongeBob tries to get a job as a fry cook at The Krusty Krab restaurant.

Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton) performed a live table read from SpongeBob SquarePants, “Single-Celled Defense,“ in which Sandy teaches Plankton all about Karate and self-defense.

You can watch the 25th-anniversary trailer here.