SpongeBob and Patrick and the Furry Encounters

SpongeBob and Patrick and the Furry Encounters is a 2030 American computer-animated adventure science fiction comedy film based on SpongeBob SquarePants. Produced by Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, United Plankton Pictures and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is a direct sequel to The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) and the fifth film in the Nicktoons Cinematic Series. The film was directed by Paul Tibbitt, with the screenplay by Andrew Goodman, Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and stars Tom Kenny, Bill Fagarbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, and Carolyn Lawrence reprising their roles from the earlier films, alongside Scarlett Johansson reprising her role as Princess Mindy from the first film; Tom Hardy, Michael Keaton, Sylvester Stallone, Jordan Peele, and Keegan-Michael Key voice the characters in this film. In the film, Patrick proposes to Mindy after a long relationship while his best friend SpongeBob wants to keep him in the status quo, but their wedding is interrupted by a race of a feline alien race abducting Patrick as they see him as the ancient star child "Patricius".

SpongeBob and Patrick and the Furry Encounters premiered in Hollywood on August 27, 2030 and was released in the United States on September 27, 2030. The film received positive reviews from critics with praise towards Fagerbakke's performance as Patrick, animation, themes, and tone. Many reviewers considered it as one of the best films in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise. It grossed $389 million worldwide against an $80 million production budget.

Plot
Arriving to Bikini Bottom, having since become a refuge for sail,1 King Neptune arrives announcing the marriage of Patrick Star and Princess Mindy, following the former's proposal. Everyone but Patrick's best friend, SpongeBob SquarePants, was unaware of their marriage. After work, Patrick tells him that he and Mindy had dated for a month and had gotten her father's blessing after he was also responsible for retrieving the royal crown,2 but hadn't mentioned it as he had his recent independent cake delivery job occupying him.

At Patrick's bachelor party at the Krusty Krab later that night, SpongeBob, serving as best man, tells his boss, Eugene Krabs, and neighbor/co-worker, Squidward Tentacles, about his worries about him eventually moving out and and misusing his royal authority over all of Bikini Bottom for his needs like last time and they suggest he should not assume the worst of Patrick after his marriage; Patrick overhears and feels concerned while SpongeBob walks out, subsequently wishing for something to prevent the wedding. Meanwhile, Mindy throws a bridal shower with her chosen maid of honor, Sandy Cheeks, chosen bridesmaids, Squilvia; Mrs. Puff; Pearl Krabs; and her cousin, Jody. She spends the night receiving their gifts and forms a bond with Sandy.

On the wedding day, Patrick confronts SpongeBob, who interrupts the officiant and objects to it out of breaking away from the status quo, about the words he heard last night and felt hurt over his assumption while assuring him that he will be taking his monarchy role seriously and will keep in touch with him; Patrick, calmly yet disappointed in his friend's intentions, kicks him out of his wedding. As he leaves the castle, a flying saucer arrives and catches Patrick in a tractor beam, with Mindy trying to pull him down, only to be caught as well. SpongeBob notices them captured and grabs onto the saucer right before it flies up to the surface and into outer space; SpongeBob loses his grip and drifts off into space.

On the saucer, Patrick and Mindy are cornered by a group of cloak-wearing extraterrestrials with cat heads called the Milky Wayfarers, led by their leader Twinkles. The reason for abducting Patrick is that they believe he is the ancient star child called "Patricius", a star from the heavens; Patrick uses their belief to their advantage to escape. With SpongeBob, he wakes up onboard a spaceship (resembling a pirate ship) where he meets its captain, Grant White, and his crew, Hal Halibut and Red Herring. Filling them in on Patrick and Mindy's abduction from a saucer, they agree to help.

Voice cast
The Cyclops and Dennis from the first film and King Poseidon from Sponge on the Run appear in flashbacks.
 * Tom Kenny as:
 * SpongeBob SquarePants
 * Gary the Snail
 * French Narrator
 * Bill Fagarbakke as:
 * Patrick Star
 * Rocky II
 * Herb Star
 * Tom Hardy as Commander Twinkles
 * Michael Keaton as Purrsen
 * Sylvester Stallone as Captain Grant White
 * Jordan Peele as Lieutenant Hal Halibut
 * Keegan-Michael Key as Major Red Herring
 * Scarlett Johansson as Princess Mindy
 * Jeffery Tambor as King Neptune XV
 * Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks
 * Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles
 * Clancy Brown as Eugene Krabs
 * Doug Lawrence as:
 * Sheldon Plankton
 * Larry Lobster
 * Jill Talley as Karen
 * Mary Jo Catlett as Mrs. Puff
 * Lori Alan as Pearl Krabs
 * Sirena Irwin as:
 * Margaret SquarePants
 * Margie Star
 * Squilvia
 * Carlos Alazraqui as Squire
 * Tim Blaney as Goofy Goober

Development
During production on the third film of The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge, which later became The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, the "Space Cat" storyline was the second pitch by director Paul Tibbitt alongside Kyle McCulloch and writers Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Andrew Goodman that was in development in 2015 after the release of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water before it was dropped in 2017. Compared to the final version of Sponge on the Run, this storyline centers around the "science-fiction" genre, described as a "SpongeBob movie in the mold of Independence Day." The plot had originally focused on Gary, originally revealed to be prince of a world inhabited by snails before being evacuating, kidnapped by the Milky Wayfarers who would use him to free Galcatacus and turn the Earth into a giant litter box.

According to Tibbitt and some storyboards, one subplot had Nicolas Cage portraying himself running for President of the United States under the nickname "President Cage" while owning a pet tiger named Fluffy, an army general called Tallenback (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) and an animal trainer named Terry. Although Nicolas Cage was first considered for the USA President role, he was later replaced by Dwayne Johnson before the idea was eventually dropped. Another subplot had Mr. Krabs, disguised as SpongeBob, opening a "favor truck" and selling favors and compliments to the Bikini Bottomites. David Hasselhoff was also planned to return from the very first film. Executive producer Vincent Waller replied on Twitter about the storyboards that the "I believe that was a first pass at the story, but the entire alien cat storyline was later tossed out and rewritten." In an interview with Sponge on the Run director Tim Hill explained that Paramount had other plans for the plot and the script was "a bit too far-fetched." Tibbitt also chimed in on the dropping of Cage's subplot as it paralleled to Donald Trump.

Upon the announcement of Nicktoons Cinematic Series, Paramount announced the film, under its name SpongeBob and Patrick and the Furry Encounters was in development, with Tibbitt as director, Aibel, Berger and Goodman as screenwriters, and the discovery of Patrick as the main character. Bill Fagerbakke was announced to reprise his role as Patrick, alongside his co-stars Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, and Carolyn Lawrence. Doug Lawrence, Jill Talley, Mary Jo Catlett, and Lori Alan. A month after the series' cast's return, Tom Hardy, Michael Keaton, Sylvester Stallone, Jordan Peele, and Keegan-Michael Key were announced as the film's characters along with Scarlett Johansson and Jeffrey Tambor reprising their roles from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Animation
The film's animation was provided by Animal Logic, known for animating the Lego Movie film series and DC League of Super-Pets. Its animators were tasked in capturing the series' animation from its fourth to eighth seasons while keeping the nature of the first three seasons in it rather than match the "stop-motion"-like animation Sponge on the Run had done. The studio was also chosen for the sake of the Milky Wayfarers' anatomically correct features in their facial expressions. This is also the first film in the SpongeBob SquarePants film series not to feature any live-action elements or human characters, a means to contrast from previous installments.

Music
Mark Mothersbaugh, composer of the Rugrats film series and original preceded series, composed the film's score for capturing the film's "sci-fi aspects" while replicating the iconic melodies from the series. The soundtrack was released on September 27, 2030, by Paramount Music.

The film also features "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys, used during the opening of the film; "Only Time", by Enya, used during Patrick's flashbacks with Mindy; "The Best Day Ever" by Tom Kenny, the last song heard in the end credits of the first film, is sung by SpongeBob near the end of the film with Patrick singing a few verses of the song; a cover version of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song sung by Avril Lavigne for the first film's soundtrack, used at the beginning of Furry Encounters ' end credits and trailers; "Ocean Man" by Ween, from the 2004 film, used during the mid-credits scene; and "Friends" by The Beach Boys, used at the very end of the credits.