“I will never turn against our son,” says Tori Breyer (Elizabeth Banks). “He’s not our son,” insists her husband, Kyle (David Denman), as they argue about what their adopted son Brandon is becoming in the horror film, Brightburn.
Tori and Kyle have wanted a child for years and one night as they’re attempting to make one something crashes into their farm. Jump ahead 10 years and Kyle and Tori are raising their adopted son Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) who’s celebrating his 12th birthday.
It’s at his birthday that Brandon begins acting differently. He starts mouthing off to his father about a present he wants, and begins to withdraw some from Tori and Kyle who he’s always been close to. Brandon also notices other changes that he keeps hidden from his parents…like his ability to fly, having heat vision, and being incredibly strong.
One night Tori finds Brandon in the barn where he’s discovered what’s left of a spaceship. He asks about his real identity and where he came from. Tori finally reveals to the child she’s raised that he arrived in the spaceship that crashed on their property. They took him in as their own son because they had wanted a child for so long.
Initially, Brandon’s upset to learn the truth. However, not long after Brandon realizes everyone on Earth is inferior to him. He decides to do whatever’s necessary to conquer mankind and take the planet for his own.
Brightburn deals with the question of what if a child from another world crash–landed on Earth but instead of becoming a superhero became something deadly, sinister, and virtually unstoppable instead. The R-rated genre-bender is a dark, suspenseful, and at times gory horror film that has more in common with Richard Donner’s 1976 movie The Omen in style and feel than any superhero film.
Elizabeth Banks gives a powerful performance as Tori, the loving mother who adores her adopted son but slowly starts to realize (to her horror) he’s becoming extremely dangerous and deadly. He’s a preteen with zero empathy, conscience, or morals, and the question of how to handle that discovery drives her actions.
Jackson A. Dunn is very effective as Brandon, the boy from outer space who as he begins to hit puberty starts to realize who and what he really is and what he wants to be to mankind. Dunn captures both the bright and likeable side of Brandon and later the eerie, sociopathic, and evil side of his personality.
Disturbing and gruesome, Brightburn is a strongly acted, well-paced film that puts a terrifying twist on the superhero genre that’s sure to creep out the audience. See it, if you dare.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for horror violence/bloody images, and language
CBS’s new summer series Blood & Treasure continues with season one episode three airing on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 10pm. “Code of the Hawaladar” was directed by Alrick Riley from a script by Taylor Elmore.
Episode three guest stars include David Paetkau, Jeremie Jacob, Jean-Alexander Letourneau, Amin Bhatia, and Fajer Al-Kaisi. Shadi Janho, Hazgary Colin, Marco Zingaro, and Christopher Vanni Ranno also appear in the third episode of the action-adventure series.
The cast is led by Matt Barr (Valor) as Danny McNamara and Sofia Pernas (The Brave) as Lexi Vaziri. Michael James Shaw is Aiden Shaw, Katia Winter is Gwen Karlsson, James Callis is Simon Hardwick, Oded Fehr is Karim Farouk, Alicia Coppola is Dr. Anna Castillo, and Mark Gagliardi plays Father Chuck.
The “Code of the Hawaladar” Plot – Danny poses as arms dealer Aiden Shaw in order to extract information on the location of terrorist Karim Farouk from a middleman who owes Shaw money. Also, Farouk obtains a clue to the location of the sarcophagus of Cleopatra, and Lexi bonds with Father Chuck when she seeks his help to decipher encoded information.
The Season 1 Plot, Courtesy of CBS:
“Blood & Treasure is a globe-trotting action-adventure drama about a brilliant antiquities expert and a cunning art thief who team up to catch a ruthless terrorist who funds his attacks through stolen treasure. Danny McNamara is a former FBI agent specializing in stolen arts and antiquities. Lexi Vaziri is a resourceful art thief who is haunted by the tragic loss of her father, which she blames on Danny. When terrorist Karim Farouk absconds with a priceless artifact and kidnaps Danny’s mentor, Dr. Anna Castillo, Danny recruits Lexi to help him bring Farouk to justice and rescue Anna.
As they chase down Farouk, they encounter unscrupulous individuals who may either be useful allies or dangerous enemies, including Aiden Shaw, an arms dealer who acts solely in his self-interest, and Simon Hardwick, an expert at procuring pilfered artifacts. Danny and Lexi are assisted by Father Chuck, a childhood friend of Danny’s who works at the Vatican Foreign Ministry in Rome.
Their hunt draws the attention of Interpol agent Gwen Karlsson, who wants Farouk brought to justice, but won’t allow Danny and Lexi to break international laws in the process. As they crisscross the world hunting their target, Danny and Lexi unexpectedly find themselves at the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization.”
FXX’s critically acclaimed adult animated comedy Archer returns with season 10 on May 29, 2019. The new season, titled Archer: 1999, finds the gang in space on board the M/V Seamus. Archer and his friends will face aliens and space pirates while stuck together on the salvage ship.
The returning voice cast who’ll be handling new versions of their characters includes H. Jon Benjamin as Captain Sterling Archer, Aisha Tyler as Co-Captain/Archer’s ex-wife Lana Kane, and Jessica Walter as Archer’s mother, Malory Archer. Judy Greer voices the ship’s pilot, Cheryl/Carol Tunt, and Chris Parnell is First Mate Cyril Figgis. Amber Nash voices the ship’s muscle, Pam Poovey, and Adam Reed voices the “out-of-place-in-space” courtesan, Ray Gillette. Lucky Yates’ Krieger is a synthetic human with questionable morals.
Season 10 will air on Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT on FXX. Archer After Hours hosted by Amber Nash and Lucky Yates will stream immediately following the season premiere on Facebook. The network’s ordered three episodes of the after-show to stream on May 29, June 26, and July 24.
The cast of Archer made the trip to the 2019 WonderCon to promote the upcoming season. Aisha Tyler joined us for a roundtable interview to discuss this season’s adventure in space and what’s in store for Lana.
Has the fact the show reinvents itself every season been a creative challenge for you every year?
Aisha Tyler: “Oh, not challenging. It makes the show interesting to do, interesting to watch. I think probably maybe fans kind of struggled to adjust in the beginning until they realized it was something we were going to be doing every season.
The main reason why it happened is because Adam Reed writes every single episode of the show and he just got f**king bored. You know what I mean? (Laughing) It’s like, ‘I’m sick of writing the same stuff.’ So, it’s really a way for him to make the show dynamic so that he can stay excited about writing it.
But it’s been super fun for us. We were literally just talking and I was like, ‘I would really love another season where we’re drug dealers. Can we go back to that?’ It was my favorite season. But it’s fun because the characters stay the same; it’s just the context that changes. The dynamic between these characters is why people love the show. It’s really just a workplace comedy that kind of keeps moving around from office to office, but the way they relate to each other – the interactions, the comedy – that stays the same.
And then it’s fun for the animators too because they get to re-envision the show every season, like a new look and a new feel. I think having been on a lot of other shows, you don’t want to get into a rut where you’re kind of just playing the same stuff every day. It can happen like that in 10 years on the show. Everything can feel similar to what’s happened before. So, for us it’s just been fun. It’s really playful.”
Lana Kane (voice of Aisha Tyler) and Sterling Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) in ‘Archer: 1999’ (Photo Credit : FXX)
With the drastic change this season into a story set in space, does it feel like you’re taking a step back to regular continuity?
Aisha Tyler: “Well, I can’t tell you any granular details about this season. In some ways the dynamic between the characters is very different this year. Like Archer and Lana – their past is a little different. Their history’s a little different, but the dynamic of how they interact is the same. So, I can’t tell you that these floating threads are going to get resolved this season. I think they probably won’t, you know? But, it’s fun.
This is a show you can go back and watch again and again and find those little Easter eggs and beats that are buried in other episodes. I think some of those will pay off in really fun ways this year. But then in other ways we’ll still have questions, which is like part of the fun of Archer.”
How well do you know Lana by now?
Aisha Tyler: “I think I know her really well. I think she’s evolved because I’ve played her…shows are living animals, right? Part of it is the way the character’s written but then a part of it is the way that you play it. The writing tends to respond to the way that the actor builds the character as well. So, I think I know her really well.
She’s really interesting. But I think at the same time she’s also an evolving person. Her desires, her goals are changing all the time. In the beginning what I really wanted was for her to take over the agency. That was originally my goal for Lana; she was originally going to have Malory’s job. And now I don’t think I or Lana care about that anymore. I think who wants to boss these a**holes around, right? I mean, more than she already does.
This season you’re going to see Lana in more of a leadership position which I think is probably more trouble than it’s worth, looking at this group of people. Be careful what you wish for.”
What’s the setup? Are you on a space station and it’s just the crew or are you interacting with other people?
Aisha Tyler: “I think if you look at all these past seasons, they’ll all been an homage to a genre. Archer Vice was almost like an homage to those movies from the ‘70s – the Convoy movies and the Starsky and Hutchs, and then also like Miami Vice in the ‘70s and ‘80s. And then we had the noir season. Then the last season was really all about those…not just the Raiders of the Lost Ark and all that stuff…but also those ‘20s and ‘30s swashbuckling films.
So, this is an homage to space films in general. It’s like Alien, but also a series like Star Trek. You’re going to see a lot of visual and creative cues that you love from those kinds of movies. We’re like kind of space piratey so maybe a little Firefly. You know what I mean? It’s pretty cool.”
Suranne Jones stars in ‘Gentleman Jack’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
HBO and BBC have renewed Gentleman Jack for a second season midway through the series’ eight-episode first season. Season one debuted on April 22, 2019 and will wrap up on June 10th. New episodes air on Mondays at 10pm ET/PT.
BAFTA Award winner Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster) stars along with Sophie Rundle, Gemma Whelan, Timothy West, and Gemma Jones.
Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley) created the drama, writes, and co-directs. Wainwright also executive produces with Faith Penhale, Laura Lankester, and Ben Irving. Phil Collinson serves as a producer.
“We’re thrilled that Anne Lister’s story has resonated so powerfully with audiences in the U.S. and abroad, and we’re grateful to Sally Wainwright and the entire Gentleman Jack family for bringing her story to life,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president, HBO Drama Programming. “Anne’s journey is an important and courageous one and we can’t wait to share this next season with the world.”
“It’s so exciting that so many people have had such a positive response to Suranne’s exuberant performance as the brilliant, life-affirming Anne Lister and to Sophie Rundle’s beautiful performance as her courageous partner, Ann Walker,” stated Sally Wainwright. “I’m utterly delighted that we’ve been recommissioned, because there are so many more big, bold stories to tell about Anne Lister and Ann Walker. A massive thank you to the BBC and HBO and to everyone at Lookout Point.”
“I’m so thrilled that I will be joining Sally Wainwright on the second part of Anne’s journey,” added series star Suranne Jones. “We always dreamed there would be more, and now we get to play it all out. A huge thank you to the BBC, HBO and Lookout Point for giving us our second series. It’s such amazing and positive news. I love working with the brilliant and talented Sophie Rundle and can’t wait to create some more Lister and Walker moments with her too.”
The Season 1 Plot:
“Set in the complex, changing world of 1832 Halifax, West Yorkshire – the cradle of the evolving Industrial Revolution – Gentleman Jack follows Anne Lister, who is determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall, by reopening the coal mines and marrying well. But the charismatic, single-minded, swashbuckling Lister – who dresses head-to-toe in black and charms her way into high society – has no intention of marrying a man.
Based in historical fact, the show examines Lister’s relationships with her family, servants, tenants and industrial rivals and, most importantly, would-be wife. The real-life Anne Lister’s story was recorded in the five million words of her diaries, and the most intimate details of her life, once hidden in a secret code, have been decoded and revealed for the series.”
The first teaser trailer for Star Trek: Picard begins with a voice-over. “15 years ago today you led us out of the darkness. You commanded the greatest rescue armada in history. Then, the unimaginable. What did that cost you? Your faith? Your faith in us? Your faith in yourself? Tell us, why did you leave Starfleet, Admiral?”
Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard comes into frame. He doesn’t answer the question but simply looks straight into the camera. The minute-long trailer ends with the tagline: “The end is only the beginning.”
CBS All Access also released the official poster for the upcoming sci-fi series.
Joining Sir Patrick Stewart in the new Star Trek series are Alison Pill (The Newsroom, the American Horror Story anthology), Michelle Hurd (Lethal Weapon), Evan Evagora, Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Big Little Lies), and Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful, Mr. Mercedes).
The latest Star Trek spinoff is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, James Duff, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Aaron Baiers co-executive produced and Kirsten Beyer is a supervising producer on the series. The first two episodes are directed by Hanelle Culpepper.
CBS Television Studios is producing the series in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
The Details:
“Star Trek: Picard features Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The new series will follow this iconic character into the next chapter of his life.”
As teased with the release of the poster on May 22, 2019, Paramount Pictures has finally released a trailer for Terminator: Dark Fate. The film brings back original franchise stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger in lead roles, and brings James Cameron back as a hands-on producer.
The two and a half minute teaser trailer confirms the studio didn’t skimp on the action budget. The teaser sets up the story, introducing Sarah Connor (Hamilton) to a new group of survivors ready to save the world. It also features a face-to-face meeting between Sarah and The Terminator (Schwarzenegger)…the chills!
Paramount also released a behind-the-scenes featurette starring Cameron, Hamilton, Schwarzenegger, and director Tim Miller (Deadpool).
The new entry in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise wisely ignores everything that happened in the series’ universe since Terminator 2: Judgment Day. “We pick up the characters that we knew from Terminator 2 and carry them forward,” explains James Cameron.
In addition to Hamilton and Schwarzenegger, the cast includes Natalia Reyes (Birds of Passage, Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas), Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire, Blade Runner 2049), Diego Boneta (Scream Queens, Monster Party), and Gabriel Luna (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Wicked City).
David Goyer (the Dark Knight trilogy), Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray wrote the screenplay from a story by Goyer, Rhodes, James Cameron, Charles Eglee, and Josh Friedman. Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Edward Cheng, Tim Miller, John J. Kelly, Bonnie Curtis, and Julie Lynn served as executive producers, with James Cameron and David Ellison producing.
The franchise kicked off with The Terminator in 1984, followed by Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines arrived in 2003, Terminator Salvation opened in theaters in 2009, and the most recent entry, Terminator Genisys, was released in 2015.
James Cameron directed the first and second Terminator films, with Jonathan Mostow (U-571) taking over the reins for Terminator 3. McG (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle) took on the task of directing Terminator Salvation and Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) was at the helm of Terminator Genisys.
I should probably start this review off with a confession: Aladdin is not one of my favorite all-time Disney animated films. Loved the songs but, truthfully, it’s just not one of the Disney classics I’ve watched more than a couple of times. The same goes for Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Hercules. I don’t dislike any of these films; I’ve just never made a point of seeking them out to watch more than once. (101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and The Aristocats…see a theme there…are more my jam.)
The announcement of a live-action Aladdin film was greeted by a resounding, “Huh? Why?” in my household. And the first trailer or two didn’t really do anything to answer the “why” part of that reaction. Will Smith hasn’t made the best choices in projects recently, and Disney’s coming off a disappointing live-action remake of Dumbo.
The $170 million budgeted Dumbo grossed less than all of Disney’s live-action remakes with the exception of Alice Through the Looking Glass and Pete’s Dragon. So, will Aladdin and its massive $180+ million budget flop like a CGI elephant’s ears or be a box office monster in the mode of 2017’s Beauty and the Beast? After checking out the musical, I’m betting on a Beast-ly box office take.
The Twitterverse wasn’t kind to Will Smith’s Genie when the first teasers were released. Subsequent extended clips of Smith in character did little to quell the naysayers certain this version of the character would be a huge letdown. The knee-jerk reaction wasn’t necessarily a reflection of Smith’s acting skills; it would be difficult for any actor to be immediately embraced in the role Robin Williams originated – and completely owned – in the 1992 animated blockbuster.
Thankfully for Aladdin fans, it turns out Will Smith’s the perfect choice to bring to life the magical being who’s spent a thousand years trapped in a little tiny living space. Smith delivers an exuberant performance, fully embracing the over-the-top singing, dancing, and wisecracking Genie.
Mena Massoud, most recently seen in Amazon’s Jack Ryan series, tackles the titular role in Disney’s 2019 reimagining of Aladdin. Massoud parkours his way through the opening scene as the street rat with a heart of gold. He’s a charming rogue, worming his way into the hearts of women including the beautiful Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott – more on her later). Jasmine’s in disguise as one of her handmaidens when she meets the street-wise thief at a bread stand in the open-air market. It’s not exactly love at first sight for either, but there’s obviously a spark of attraction on the verge of igniting into full-blown infatuation during their first encounter.
Aladdin’s attempts to woo the lovely Princess Jasmine are thwarted by the villainous Jafar (boo-hiss!) who convinces the poor young man his fortunes will change if he enters the Cave of Wonders and retrieves a golden lamp. Jafar fails to warn Aladdin he could die in the attempt, and Aladdin and his BFF monkey Abu are only able to survive the task with the help of a flying magic carpet.
The Genie pops out and introduces himself with a high-energy song and dance number that explains the rules behind the wishes. Aladdin doesn’t immediately catch on, but once he understands what the Genie can offer, he fully embraces the idea of magically transforming into the very rich, very charming Prince Ali. However, Aladdin soon learns that with great power comes great responsibility and that nothing beats telling the truth when it comes to love.
And now back to the scene-stealing Naomi Scott. Scott is the best thing about Aladdin. Scott’s Princess Jasmine is no shrinking violet. She’s led a sheltered, privileged life; however, she’s grounded, intelligent, and cares for her people. The new show-stopping female empowerment anthem, “Speechless,” is perfect for this era and Scott’s performance of the song is a pivotal, memorable moment in this joyful adaptation.
Scott has a gorgeous voice and it soars as she sings “A Whole New World” while flying high above Princess Jasmine’s country with Aladdin. She’s able to make Princess Jasmine into a complete person, not just a chess piece in the power struggle between her father and Jafar.
Disney’s 2019 Aladdin was directed by Guy Ritchie, an unlikely choice for the job based on his resume. Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Sherlock Holmes don’t exactly scream, “Give this man a musical to direct!” But Ritchie and his co-screenwriter John August (Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie) did a terrific job of remaining loyal to the animated classic while breathing fresh life into this 2019 live-action adaptation. The musical numbers are spectacular, the costumes are stunning, and the CGI work is flawless.
Coming in at a little over two hours, Aladdin could have used a nip and tuck in a few of Jafar’s scenes. But otherwise, it’s swiftly paced and entertaining. It’s made an Aladdin fan out of me, something I didn’t expect going into the screening.
A special U.S. version of global reality hit Love Island will air this summer on CBS. The one-hour reality series joins CBS’s primetime lineup on July 9, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT. The series will air every weeknight at 8pm through August 7th.
“As the buzziest reality show in the U.K., Love Island has won the hearts of viewers across the pond as well as around the world, creating appointment viewing and fanfare for audiences everywhere. We are thrilled to bring our version of this cultural phenomenon to CBS,” said Sharon Vuong, Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming. “This fun, lighthearted series is like watching your favorite romantic comedy five nights a week!”
The U.S. edition host, as well as the cast of season one, will be announced closer to air date.
Love Island is a produced by ITV Entertainment. David George, Adam Sher, David Eilenberg, Simon Thomas, Mandy Morris, Ben Thursby, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster are on board as executive producers. Per CBS, Love Island is “based on a format owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group, and distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.”
The Plot, Courtesy of CBS
“Love Island begins as a group of single ‘Islanders’ come together in a stunning villa in Fiji, ready to embark on a summer of love, friendships and, ultimately, relationships. Every few days the Islanders must couple-up – those who fail to find a partner to couple up with risk being dumped from the island. Islanders are on the lookout for romance, but the road to love doesn’t always run smoothly. Challenges abound with new Islander arrivals and dramatic twists as friendships and relationships form.
In addition to choosing their partners wisely, Islanders must also win the hearts of viewers who have the opportunity to shape events on screen and ultimately crown one lucky couple the winner, who will then have the chance to walk away with both love and the cash prize.”
Bleecker Street’s showing off the new trailer for the dark comedy The Art of Self-Defense starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots. The comedy’s written and directed by Riley Stearns and is set to open in theaters on July 12, 2019 in limited release, followed by a nationwide release on July 19th.
Cody Ryder, Andrew Kortschak, Stephanie Whonsetler, Walter Kortschak produced, with Andrew Karpen, Munika Lay, Kent Sanderson, David Zellner, and Nathan Zellner executive producing. Doll & Em‘s Alessandro Nivola co-stars.
Stearns’ behind the scenes team includes director of photography Michael Ragen, editor Sarah Beth Shapiro, production designer Charlotte Royer, and costume designer Jami Villers.
The Plot:
“Mocked by strangers and belittled by his male co-workers, meek accountant Casey Davies (Eisenberg) is used to avoiding conflict at all costs. But when he leaves the safety of his home one night to buy dog food for his sole companion, four helmeted figures on motorcycles chase him down a dark street, knock him to the ground, and viciously beat him unconscious.
Traumatized by the attack, Casey makes the rash decision to learn how to protect himself. While returning home from a gun shop, a nondescript karate studio catches his attention. Curious, he ventures inside and sees a group of middle-aged men practicing martial arts under the watchful eye of the charismatic Sensei (Nivola).
Returning the next day, Casey meets Anna (Poots), the dojo’s only female member. In charge of teaching the children’s classes, she’s a tough-as-nails brown belt whose unorthodox lessons involve showing 10-year-olds how to shatter an opponent’s jaw with a perfectly executed spinning kick. Something about the hyper-masculine world of the dojo speaks to Casey, and his newfound confidence begins to grow as Sensei takes him under his wing.
Things spin further out of control when Sensei invites Casey to participate in the dojo’s mysterious night classes. Filled with full-contact brutality and raw male aggression, these bloody sparring sessions take Casey’s dark transformation to the next level. But when Sensei tricks him into committing a shocking act of criminal violence, Casey finds himself on a collision course with a karate master in a fight for dominance.”
Imogen Poots as “Anna” and Jesse Eisenberg (right) as “Casey” in writer/director Riley Stearns’ ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ (Photo Credit: Bleecker Street)
Nickelodeon has special plans for SpongeBob’s birthday this year. SpongeBob SquarePants will venture into new territory with the one-hour special, “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout,” set to air on Friday, July 12, 2019 at 7pm ET/PT. The special will mark the first time the voice cast will appear as human versions of their animated characters.
The voices behind SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward, and Plankton will appear in the special as will guest star David Hasselhoff as himself.
“I experienced the world of SpongeBob first-hand when I appeared in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was an amazing experience,” said Hasselhoff. “After making that cameo, kids around the world recognized me from the movie. How awesome to now come back to be part of the 20th anniversary special. I got to interact with Tom Kenny and SpongeBob. It also was a heartwarming tribute to Steve Hillenburg. Happy 20th SpongeBob. Hooray!!”
“Steve Hillenburg gave me the gift of a lifetime when he asked me to voice his porous alter ego, SpongeBob SquarePants,” said voice actor Tom Kenny. “He changed my life and all of our lives. To reach the 20-year mark is a huge milestone and we wanted to celebrate by throwing a big party Bikini Bottom style. SpongeBob only comes up to the surface world on special occasions and this time one stop on his journey is The Trusty Slab restaurant. Stepping on the set and acting alongside my friends and fellow cast members was a true out of body experience. Fans are truly going to love it.”
In the episode, Patrick and SpongeBob journey to the surface world, where the duo come across a few familiar faces during lunchtime rush at The Trusty Slab restaurant. Meanwhile the Bikini Bottom residents set up a surprise birthday party for SpongeBob.
Donning his famous lifeguard attire, Hasselhoff guests as himself in the special, where he runs into a little trouble in an ocean kayak and on the beach. Hasselhoff also notably played himself in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. His return is a special nod to his original performance for fans around the world.
