Regina Hall (Honk For Jesus), Sherry Cola (Shrinking), Arturo Castro (Tron: Ares), George Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) and rapper Ice Spice have joined the voice cast for upcoming animated feature The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
Four-time Grammy multi-platinum selling rapper Isis “Ice Spice” will also contribute a song to the movie.
Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, announced the new voice cast members during a presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Tuesday.
Naito said that the studios had a busy six months ahead with the release of Smurfs in July, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants in December.
She also noted the packed production slate topped by PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2.
Produced by Paramount Pictures with Nickelodeon Movie in association with Domain Entertainment and MRC, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants will be released in the U.S. on December 19.
Director Derek Drymon, who has worked on the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise on and off for more than two decades, also took to the stage to introduce the premiere of the first act of the film.
“It’s like coming home,” he said, before going on to talk through the artwork for the “spooky” underwater setting of the latest instalment.
The exclusive footage of the “first act” sets the scene for SpongeBob’s latest adventure after he reaches the height of 36 clams and is allowed into the big people’s fairground park.
There he bumps into Mr. Krabs, who tells him that there is more to being grown-up than height and regales him with a tale of his adventures at sea.
SpongeBob hits on the idea of getting his swashbuckler certificate but in the process, he unwittingly summons the spirit of the Flying Dutchman.
The evil seaman, voiced by Mark Hamill, abducts SpongeBob and Patrick Star with the aim of using them to break a curse on his back.
Tom Kenny returns to voice SpongeBob SquarePants, with Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), Mr. Lawrence (Plankton).
Cola is repped by CAA, Stark Management and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis. Castro is represented by WME, Untitled Entertainment, Shelter PR, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox. Lopez is repped by UTA and 3 Arts.
Based on the Series SpongeBob SquarePants,created by Stephen Hillenburg, the screenplay for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, was written by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman,
Producers are Lisa Stewart, Pam Brady, Aaron Dem, alongside executive Producers: Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller.
The presentation also featured a sneak peak of the first 20 minutes of Smurfs featuring the voice of Rihanna for Smurfette and James Corden as No Name, whose search for identity leads to Papa Smurf being kidnapped.
Director Chris Miller said he had wanted to remain true to the spirit and style of the original Smurfs at the same time as creating something fresh with CGI animation.
“It’s not about just pixels and key frames, it’s about creating something that moves hearts,” he said.
The post Regina Hall, Sherry Cola, Arturo Castro, George Lopez & Ice Spice Join Cast Of ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ As Paramount Premieres Opening Act & ‘Smurfs’ Footage – Annecy appeared first on Deadline.
