'SpongeBob SquarePants' Facebook Page Debunks Rumors Show is Being Cancelled
One of the official social media pages for the long-time running animated show "SpongeBob SquarePants immediately shut down rumors that its TV run is about to end.
In true "SpongeBob SquarePants" fashion, the confirmation that the animated show would remain on air was brought to fans with a photo of the familiar suit-wearing fish news anchor in a "Breaking News" announcement that said: "March 1st is nothing but the first day of March. SpongeBob is NOT being cancelled."
In the same Facebook post, it was also reiterated that the 12th season of "SpongeBob SquarePants" was still underway for a 2019 launch, while in the comments section, fans were officially told that new episodes were going to be aired in March.
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"SpongeBob SquarePants" had actually been renewed by Nickelodeon for season 12 back in 2016, and it is expected to have 26 new episodes. The year 2019 also marks Bikini Bottom's 20th year on TV and is also when the third "SpongeBob SquarePants" movie adaptation will be released.
However, many fans still fell victim to the fake announcement since the bogus photo that went viral was edited to make it look like the news came from the official and verified Twitter account of the show.
The fake post read: "Unfortunately, our show will be coming to a final end as of March 1st, 2018. It's been a long ride, and we are very grateful for all of the fans worldwide that have shown support throughout the years, none of this would have been possible without you."
This was also not the first time that perpetrators of spreading fake news had threatened fans that the show would be cancelled. In the same year that season 12 was ordered by Nickelodeon, "SpongeBob SquarePants" was rumored to be set to end on Oct. 17. Before that, another round of fake news that circulated in 2013 claimed the show would only last until Jan. 28, 2014.
The success of "SpongeBob SquarePants" has not only been proven in the small screen but also in movie theaters. According to Box Office Mojo, the first two "SpongeBob SquarePants" movies sit at the top 10 all-time highest grossing animated movie adaptations from a TV series.
"The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," which was released in 2004, had a total worldwide box office record of $140,161,792 while "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" that premiered in 2015 currently holds the second best record in the said category after garnering a total of $325,186,032 from movie theaters around the world.
