Tom Kenny & Bill Fagerbakke Give New Details on 'The Patrick Star Show,' 'Kamp Koral,' and More SpongeBob Spinoffs
SpongeBob and Patrick sit down with our Michael Winn Johnson to give a sneak peek at The Patrick Star Show, the Kamp Koral spinoff, and the future of SpongeBob after two decades.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run opens in theatres across Canada (and only Canada) this Friday, which marks the third film in the franchise. After 21 years, 238 episodes, a live-action musical adaptation and now, the completion of an animated feature trilogy, you might think the perennial property would slow down.
Not a chance. Plankton would have a better chance at obtaining the Krabby Patty recipe, than stopping this underwater juggernaut.
SpongeBob is expanding now more than ever, with two planned spin-off shows, including the recently announced Patrick Star Show (Starring Bill Fagerbakke, returning as Patrick) and Kamp Koral, an episodic-adventure prequel that stems directly from brief flashbacks within Sponge on the Run.
Legendary voice actor, Tom Kenny, the icon behind Spongebob, seems invigorated by this expansion. “It’s a whole world, and it just keep just keeps on chugging along. We’re thrilled.” This expansion also means that both voice actors get to expand their roles, whether that be on-screen with their character, or their responsibilities behind the camera. Kenny revealed that they have already filmed two episodes of the Patrick Star Show, in which Tom Kenny takes on the role of Voice Director.
Fagerbakke called Kenny’s role as Voice Director “Huge” and seems just as invigorated about his opportunity to branch off with a show of his own. “What’s great about it, in terms of a concept, is how excited the writers are, because when you’re doing what we do... it starts there.” Fagerbakke assures audiences that this show will be very different, as after two decades, everyone involved is relishing the opportunity to try new things. “They’re really playing with it, and we’re seeing some neat stuff already”.
Kenny adds that this aquatic world is expanding much faster than audiences may expect. “One great thing about the Spongebob ‘ocean’ is there’s all these little zones within that ocean where you can go. We’ve got the Patrick show, Kamp Koral, and then we’re going to start seeing standalone hour-long films about some of the some of the other characters on the show.”
These two seasoned actors, men who have reached immortality in their work, still take nothing for granted, and the energy for these future projects was contagious. Kenny ended the interview reflecting on how lucky they are to have steady work in this specific part of the entertainment business, calling animation a “magical world that’s ‘pandemic proof’ [and] able to continue on” during these trying times.
If you’re fortunate enough (like me) to live in a ‘magical world’ like Canada, be sure to catch The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run in theatres August 14th. It is planned to stream on premium video-on-demand and CBS All Access for the United States in early 2021.