The Lord of the Patty: Fellowship of the Spatula

The Lord of the Patty: The Fellowship of the Spatula is a 2004 epic animated fantasy film directed by Stephen Hillenburg based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the first instalment in The Lord of the Patty series, and was followed by The Two Resturants (2005) and The Return of the Formula (2006), based on the second and third volumes of The Lord of the Rings.

Set in Bikini Bottom, the story tells of the Dark Lord Plank (Doug Lawerence), who is seeking the One Patty. The Patty has found its way to the young fry cook SpongeBob Esq. SquarePants (Tom Kenney). The fate of Bikini Bottom hangs in the balance as SpongeBob and eight companions who form the Fellowship of the Patty begin their journey to Mount Doom and Gloom in the land of Order, the only place where the Patty can be destroyed.

Released on 10 December 2004, the film was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike who considered it to be a landmark in film-making and an achievement in the animated film genre. It has continued to be featured on critic lists of the greatest animated films ever made, as of 2015. The film was a massive box office success, earning over $671 million worldwide.