It's time for Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence) to take the spotlight, as the character will be the protagonist in the upcoming Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. Netflix revealed the first image from the film this morning, featuring the titular squirrel surfing with one of her best friends, SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny). Sandy had always been a secondary character in every piece of media related to the friendly cartoon character who lives in a pineapple under the sea, but this will be the first time she grabs her lasso and takes the lead in a story of her own.

The project is part of a deal Netflix and Nickelodeon struck years before Paramount+ entered development, which is why the movie will be released in this platform, even if the rights to the character and the distribution of the main show are attached to Paramount. The film is also meant to be the first out of three features focusing on secondary characters from Bikini Bottom, in an effort to breathe new life to a cartoon icon that has entertained children for more than two decades. Added to the longevity of the brand, SpongeBob Squarepants has managed to keep most of its main voice cast intact throughout its run, establishing a firm legacy for the residents of Bikini Bottom.

Several movies have been developed as expansions from the main series, with some of these projects even scoring a successful theatrical release. The first SpongeBob adventure exclusively released through streaming was 2021's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run, where the character has to rescue his pet snail Gary, before he is disposed of by the King Poseidon (Matt Berry). While the film wasn't meant to debut on a streaming platform, its theatrical debut faced several delays and, when the pandemic got in the way of it, the studio opted for selling the project to Netflix as part of their previously established deal.

Sandy runs away from a feral Squidward in the SpongeBob episode "Feral Friends"

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SpongeBob's Theatrical Success

Nevertheless, before there were so many streaming options available on the market, the brand was very appealing for families during theatrical releases due to the immense popularity of the television show. Ever since The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie hit cinemas back in 2004, several successful features have followed, proving time and time again how who is perhaps Nickelodeon's most popular character will always be a safe bet. After all, not every cartoon character gets to see David Hasselhoff becoming their own personal lifeguard.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie premieres on Netflix next year.