‘SpongeBob’ movie goes directly to streaming
A new “SpongeBob” movie
that was expected to play in theatres will instead go straight to streaming, a
blow to cinemas that are cautiously restarting operations after a four-month
shutdown.
“The SpongeBob Movie:
Sponge on the Run” will debut digitally in the US via premium video on demand
in early 2021, ViacomCBS Inc. said in a statement Monday. The film will then
move exclusively to the company’s streaming service CBS All Access. It was
initially expected to premiere in theatres on August 7.
US cinemas have been
struggling to cope with a lack of revenue and rising debt piles since the
coronavirus pandemic forced them to close in March. Their woes were compounded
by movie studios, which had to release some films digitally in an effort to
recoup their marketing costs during the shutdown, skipping the type of
theatrical debut that keeps cinemas afloat.
