The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is based on the long-running children's animated comedy on Nickelodeon, which debuted in 1999. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson played Buchannon in the 2017 theatrical film version. From 1989-1999, he starred as Mitch Buchannon, leader of a lifeguard patrol in Los Angeles County, CA, and continued the role on spinoff Baywatch Nights from 1995-1997 and the 1999-2001 sequel Baywatch Hawaii in its first season. Hasselhoff's appearance in the SpongeBob movie trades on his persona from Baywatch.

Hasselhoff gives SpongeBob and Patrick a ride on his back and swims them back to their home in Bikini Bottom, occasionally grumbling they're irritating his skin. 'Big Dave' doubled for Hasselhoff in the SpongeBob movie, which put the title character and his best friend Patrick Star on a quest to retrieve the stolen crown of King Neptune from Shell City. The opening bid for the movie prop is $100,000, and Live Auctioneers estimates its value between $750,000-$1.5 million.