“SpongeBob - Friends on the Run” Comes to Netflix on November 5th - Trailer

Mikros Animation celebrates the worldwide streaming debut of the film  SpongeBob - Friends on the Run (The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run), available on Netflix starting November 5 in all countries except the United States and Canada.

Canada enjoyed the theatrical premiere of Spongebob's third feature film (and for the first time using full 3D CGI, courtesy of Mikros) in August, while US audiences are waiting for a direct digital debut. in the new year via PVOD and CBS All Access.

SpongeBob's Story - Friends on the Run

SpongeBob and Patrick embark on a rescue mission to save Gary, who has been kidnapped by Poseidon, and travel to the Lost City of Atlantic City. The film will also reveal the origin of SpongeBob meeting Gary for the first time as a child.

Mikros Animation comments

"We are thrilled that this film directed and written by Tim Hill will be distributed worldwide via Netflix," said Simon Vanesse, managing director of Mikros Animation. "We are so proud to have been commissioned by Paramount Animation to bring the latest adventures of SpongeBob and his universe to life in the first CGI animation."

SpongeBob - Friends on the Run (The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run) it's all fun, adventure, creative environments and adorable characters. It's the latest chapter in a worldwide phenomenon that has spanned over two decades, about an incurably optimistic sea sponge and his friends in the magical and delightful world of Bikini Bottom on the seabed.

The trailer of SpongeBob - Friends on the run

“For the first time in the series with a fully rendered CG animation, it was a real challenge for us,” commented Marie Balland, Head of Production, Mikros Animation Montreal. “We worked closely with Tim Hill and his team to ensure that the translation of the look from 2D to 3D animation would be done in full compliance with the franchise, developing a new and richer look that truly immersed viewers in Bikini Bottom and the lost city of Atlantic City. "

To stay true to the TV show, the artists adopted a differentiated style to animate the characters and environment as a couple. The creation of the “almost” complete CG environments required a profound stylistic exploration and redefinition of the language of forms and visual codes. This, in turn, allowed the Mikros teams to create new colorful and contrasting landscapes with a high level of detail:

“In the TV series, the sand in Bikini Bottom has a few spots and splashes of paint. The 3D animation reveals that the sketches are actually small pebbles, ”explained Rachel Tiep-Daniels, Animation Production Designer at Paramount Animation. This effect was achieved through an organic mix of high-tech and traditional techniques, combining a strong asset building philosophy, workflow flexibility and visual creativity.

Preserving the spirit of the original series and the individuality and personality of each protagonist made the character's design and animation very challenging. The rigging phase was complex and dense, as most of the characters are unique. The Mikros Animation team had to rethink the creation of the 3D characters: they used stepped animation to avoid any motion blur and smooth effects, also using movable limbs, 2D shapes, animated effects and shadow transfers, so that the characters could act, move, warp and do all kinds of crazy stunts!

“Tim Hill really understands the world of SpongeBob. It has the DNA of the franchise but still let us, the artists, free ourselves. So we all had the opportunity to bring our artistic approach, which he and his team would later approve or not, ”said Jacques Daigle of Mikros Animation Montreal, the film's animation supervisor. “As an animator, this type of film only comes in every five or 10 years in a career. We laughed a lot as we worked on this visual feast of color, comedy and fun. ”

The joy of working on this signature animation has been tested by the global pandemic. When the “safer at home” policies began to be implemented in the spring of 2020, Mikros Animation was able to implement the necessary solutions within days to allow their artists in Montreal and Paris to work safely from home. Beyond the technological challenges and lockdown conditions that evolved in the following weeks, the studio was able to have more than 240 artists in Montreal and Paris dedicated to the SpongeBob film and its marketing resources, working from home. The project was fully completed under lockdown conditions, not only in full cooperation with Mikros' transatlantic studios, but also with Mr. X, who handled the visual effects and Technicolor post-production for classification.