When you think about the longest-running shows on TV, soap operas and scripted dramas for adults come to mind. But kids’ shows have longevity, too — just look at classics like The Simpsons (stop, it’s fine for tweens), Sesame Street, The Bugs Bunny Show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and now, SpongeBob SquarePants. In 2024, the animated series about a happy-go-lucky yellow sea sponge and the other colorful residents of Bikini Bottom turned 25.
Not surprisingly, that quarter of a century and 300+ episodes has resulted in a slew of new additions to the SpongeBob universe, from a real-life Broadway musical to several films. And the latest of the latter puts one of the adorably offbeat show’s coolest characters front and center: Sandy Cheeks.
In Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, now streaming on Netflix, everyone’s favorite twangy scientific squirrel leaps to action when Bikini Bottom (and its eccentric inhabitants) suddenly gets scooped out of the ocean.
But to save the place she calls home, the maritime rodent must travel back to her home state of Texas, where a villainous plot threatens the survival of Bikini Bottom. Along the way, she calls her family for backup — and let’s just say it’s a total circus.
Fans of SpongeBob will enjoy the film for its trademark quirky humor, dry sarcasm, and silly shenanigans. Plus, the animation pops off the screen (when we watched, we kept wishing we were in an IMAX or 3D theater for it). What’s really exciting about the movie, though, is the fact that Sandy finally really gets her flowers.
Scary Mommy recently had the chance to chat with Carolyn Lawrence, the voice of Sandy, and she gave us the scoop on her dream cameo and what it means to bring a character like this to the screen.
Scary Mommy: Could we see more of Sandy’s circus family in the future?
Carolyn Lawrence: I’m just amazed that we’re even here! It’s such an enormous thing that 25 years in, she’s doing a movie. And it’s weird, too, because it feels like it’s her and not me … I’m like, Look at that; she’s getting it. Oh, wait, I’m playing her. But yes, I hope that we do get to see more. I would like to know more.
SM: Do you think Sandy has more family out there?
CL: I feel like there are probably some other scientists in there somewhere. It’s funny because you get attracted to the people who are most familiar to you, right? So, is there another SpongeBob-esque personality in there somewhere? Is that why she’s so tight with SpongeBob? Or is there another Patrick personality, and that’s why she feels so comfortable with Patrick? Maybe we’ll all find out together.
SM: We are obsessed with Craig Robinson as Pa Cheeks. Who would you like to voice a character in another Sandy-led sequel?
CL: I’d love to have Pink do something. I think she’s very Sandy-like. She’s a great role model. She’s not afraid to be who she is. She flies on trapezes. I mean, it makes perfect sense. And she’s a rock and roller, which I kind of secretly wish I was.
SM: What does it mean to you to have brought this smart, funny, strong, independent animated character to life?
CL: Well, I’m raising two girls as well, so it means the world to me in that we do need girls to feel empowered to fully be who they are and stand up for themselves. We do need them to go into science. We need to get them to go into the medical field. We need more women in fields that typically haven’t been dominated by women because it balances out the world. So, we need that.
But we also need the little boys to see these characters who are excelling as females. We need to raise our boys to know that the girls next to them are equal and can do anything as well. It’s both. I’m proud that she’s a role model — I’m very aware that I want to keep her there. It’s an important responsibility, and I never want to let anybody down. It’s been an honor, truly.
Stream Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie on Netflix now.
