'SpongeBob' documentary on its way

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Nickelodeon says it has inked a deal with the O'Malley Creadon production company to produce the first SpongeBob SquarePants documentary.

Patrick Creadon is to direct and write the film, as well as produce it with Christine O'Malley. The partners have previously earned acclaim for their documentaries "Wordplay" and "I.O.U.S.A."

Their one-hour, original, as-yet-untitled "SpongeBob" television documentary is expected to chronicle the ascent of the "absorbing character's journey to pop culture stardom." It will be telecast across MTV Networks' various TV platforms in July to commemorate the anniversary of the series' first episode, Nickelodeon said.

"Patrick and Christine have a talent for finding a greater cultural significance in their film subjects," Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon's executive vice president of development and original programming and executive producer of the project, said in a statement. "We're excited to see how they will explore SpongeBob's 10-year evolution from a cartoon character to an international pop-culture phenomenon."

"After spending two years examining the financial health of the United States, Christine and I were ready to tackle something a little more upbeat," Creadon added. "Telling the SpongeBob story feels like the perfect fit. Plus, our three young children think this is the coolest thing ever."