Joining countless other films which have been forced to make the same decision, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is going to be skipping theaters, instead opting to go straight to viewers' homes. Viewers will now have to wait until early 2021 to watch the film from home instead of going to theaters.
Previously, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run was set to debut on Memorial Day weekend, but was pushed back to August 7th. With the coronavirus still ongoing and with no end in sight, the film is instead going to become available on premium video on demand.
Other movies have skipped theatres as well, and it seems to work well for the most part, although the delay combined with it is somewhat strange. It's unclear why the film is being delayed to early 2021 when it was clearly ready to air in theaters this August.
That said, it is possible that the coronavirus has not only affected potential viewership of the film but also its actual production. For this reason, it is likely best for fans of SpongeBob to just wait it out until 2021 and see the film from the comfort of their homes.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run will release on Premium VOD early 2021.
Source: Forbes