That's right: Sheldon J. Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) is getting his own film. But SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and his friends are still very much involved — much to Plankton's dismay.

Given his role as the villain in SpongeBob SquarePants, the decision to give Plankton his own spinoff film may raise eyebrows. This significant move follows a pattern of spinoff movies within the ...