Netflix recently posted an announcement on their X (formerly Twitter) page welcoming Sandy and SpongeBob in a way only the streaming platform could: through posters of Sandy Cheeks as Wednesday and SpongeBob as a candidate on Love Is Blind.

Sandy’s poster says, “From the deepest depths of Bikini Bottom” and SpongeBob’s “Love is absorbent. Falling in love is the squeezy part.”

This is to announce the first in a series of SpongeBob character spin-off films, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, which will be released on Netflix Aug. 2. The film is directed by Lisa Johnson and stars the series’ regular voice cast as well as new characters — both live-action and animated. The movie is a CGI/live-action hybrid.

Sandy Cheeks is the main character in the spin-off SpongeBob movie

Bikini Bottom is suddenly scooped out of the ocean which causes Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob SquarePants to go to Sandy’s home state, Texas. They meet Sandy’s family and together figure out a way to save Bikini Bottom — and the rest of their friends and other residents — from the hands of an evil CEO before time runs out.

Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick) and Rodger Bumpass (Squidward) will be joined by newcomers Johnny Knoxville (Randy Cheeks), Craig Robinson (Pa Cheeks), Grey DeLisle (Ma Cheeks), Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (Phoebe), Matty Cardarople (Kyle) and Wanda Sykes (Sue Nahmee).

Sandy Cheeks first appeared in the Nickelodeon series SpongeBob SquarePants episode Tea at the Treedome in May 1, 1999. Series creator and animator Stephen Hillenburg, a marine biologist, also created and designed her. Sandy is a highly intelligent anthropomorphic squirrel in a diving suit who lives with the rest of the characters in Bikini Bottom. This year marks the entire show’s 25th anniversary.

She is one of SpongeBob’s closest friends. Sandy is a proud Texan who speaks in a stereotypical Southern drawl. Inside her treedome, she usually wears a green and purple bikini. Outside of it, she wears an atmospheric diving suit. Conversely, when the other characters visit her house, they wear water helmets.

Sandy uses her scientific skills to construct complex inventions. She’s tough and tomboyish. She knows karate, lifts weights and being a true blue Texan, a rodeo champion as well. Sandy is also good friends with SpongeBob’s best friend, Patrick Star. However, much like Squidward, she finds him annoying at times.

Sandy was originally pitched by Hillenburg and Tim Hill, who also developed the series, as SpongeBob’s love interest. However, this was quickly changed.

This will be the first SpongeBob movie not to be released in cinemas as well as shown on a different streaming service, Netflix, instead of the usual Paramount+.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie will premiere Aug. 2 on Netflix.