What was Spongebob up to before his adventures with Patrick and his capers at the Krusty Krab? A prequel series to the iconic animation, which has been greenlit at Nickelodeon, may provide some answers.
The prospective new show, titled “Kamp Koral,” is a CG-animated series which introduces viewers to a 10-year-old SpongeBob during his summer at sleepaway camp. The 13-episode series is slated to begin production at the kids network in June.
“SpongeBob has an incredible universe to expand upon and the greenlight for ‘Kamp Koral’ is a testament to the strength and longevity of these characters known and loved by generations of fans around the world,” said Ramsey Naito, EVP of animation production and development at Nickelodeon.
“Kamp Koral” will see SpongeBob and his pals spend the summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest. Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller are co-executive producers on the series.
Variety had exclusively reported in February that Nickelodeon was eyeing an expansion to the beloved franchise, and was exploring, among other options, “an original story about SpongeBob and Patrick, or a Sandy Cheeks stand-alone story.”
“That’s our Marvel Universe,” said Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins said. “You have this amazing show that’s run for almost twenty years.”
The series, which has been a staple of Nickelodeon since 1999, was created by Stephen Hillenburg who died of ALS in November, 2018.