Nickelodeon announced Tuesday that an animated "SpongeBob SquarePants" spinoff series is in the works.
The CG-animated, 13-episode prequel series, tentatively titled "Kamp Koral," will introduce 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants during his summer at sleepaway camp. Production is set to begin this month at Nickelodeon in Burbank.
"SpongeBob has an incredible universe to expand upon and the greenlight for 'Kamp Koral' is a testament to the strength and longevity of these characters known and loved by generations of fans around the world," said Ramsey Naito, Nickelodeon's executive vice president of Animation Production and Development.
"SpongeBob SquarePants,'' which is produced in Burbank, chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of an earnest sea sponge and his undersea friends.
The top-rated kids animated TV series since its July 1999 launch, it is seen in more than 208 countries and territories, translated in 55-plus languages, and averages more than 100 million total viewers every quarter, according to Nickelodeon. The 2-D cartoon series has spawned pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products and a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
