Tuesday 2 April 2013

Pixar Officially Announce Finding Dory For 2015 Release


Nope, this isn't a late April Fool's joke, you know that Finding Nemo sequel we've been hearing about for months now? Well, it's happening, it's coming in November 2015 and it's called Finding Dory. The sequel was as good as confirmed anyway, but Ellen DeGeneres, who voices the now-titular blue tang (and was said to be in talks to return to the role last summer) officially announced the film earlier today.




Ellen is clearly exuberantly excited that the film's happening, and you know what? So am I. Andrew Stanton is returning to direct, Albert Brooks (voice of Marlin) seems set to reprise his role too. A release date of 25th November, 2015 is being targeted, which would mean Pixar would output two films that year (Pete Docter's Inside Out is due in June) - it wouldn't be unusual for it to drop back to 2016 though. Excitingly, the press release Disney rolled out elucidates what exactly the film will be about too.

“I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” said DeGeneres. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating ‘Toy Story 16.’ But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

Ellen DeGeneres with Finding Dory director Andrew Stanton.

Director and Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton takes audiences back to the extraordinary underwater world created in the original film. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In ‘Finding Dory,’ she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

According to Stanton, “Finding Dory” takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life.


This sounds more like a spiritual "Finding" than that of the first film, and it's certainly an interesting premise - nothing that jeopardises the great ending of the first film, while also not just marking another prequel so shortly after Monsters University (due this June). And for the worriers amongst you who are throwing out the "I hope this doesn't mean they're making Dory the main character like they did with Mater in Cars 2" card, just remember that Nemo was hardly the main character in the first film.

One can't help but wonder, would people be complaining quite so much if The Incredibles 2 had just been announced? I'd wager that the good folks at Pixar know a little bit more about how to make a good movie than we do, and they've more than earned our trust. Plus, let's not forget the string of original features on the way in the coming years too.

But one thing's for sure, with Finding Dory, Inside Out, The Avengers 2 and possibly Star Wars: Episode VII, Disney are going to completely wreck the box office in 2015.

Sidebar: Is anyone else getting a Memento vibe? Nope? Just me and Damon Lindelof then?

19 comments:

  1. Very excited about this. Just watched Finding Nemo in celebration.


    Wondering a few things, like : how will Nigel appear, and will he appear at all ? Who is gonna replace Joe Ranft as Jacques ? Is he gonna be replaced ?
    Anyway, I'm thrilled about the announcement. Everything is in place for a good sequel, so let's have it !


    Only minor problem, but that's just me : Finding Dory is gonna CRUSH the competition when it's released, which is bad for the Tintin sequel, if it's out for Christmas 2015.

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  2. Munir Abedrabbo2 April 2013 at 22:09

    I'm excited about this new project and the fact that is not a retread from the first film makes it even better.

    I don't think people will be complaining with Incredibles 2 but that's because I think is the only film that we were expecting (and still are) a sequel (aside from TS). All the other sequels like Cars 2, MU and Finding Dory were unexpected because I think the majority of people didn't think a sequel/prequel for these films were necessary. And due to the fact that Cars 2 was not great, I think is understandable that there's some apprehension with these projects.

    On another note, I hope that after Tomorrowland, Brad Bird returns to Pixar with either Incredibles 2 or an original idea but I want to see another animated film from him.

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  3. Munir Abedrabbo2 April 2013 at 22:25

    I'm crossing my fingers that Nigel will appear in the film, he's awesome and Geoffrey Rush is awesome so he must appear!! In the case of Jacques, they can recast it like they did for Slinky on TS 3 or write him off like they did with Doc Hudson in Cars 2. I hope the first option is the one they choose.

    The release date can still change. I don't think Disney is seriously releasing Avengers 2, Star Wars 7, 2 Pixar films, Pirates 5 and Ant- Man all in the same year. The way I see it, either Star Wars moves to 2016 (which is a serious possibility) or one of the two Pixar films also moves to 2016. But something's gotta move.

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  4. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 03:14

    I keep thinking to myself, "Finding Dory"? I think this is the first Pixar movie I've ever truly been skeptical of. It's just so strange. I knew that there were rumors about a Finding Nemo 2, but now that it's officially been announced... I don't know. I hope it's not just a "cash grab", as many people are saying.

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  5. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 03:17

    Since there's no film scheduled for release in 2017, I've been thinking that that's when we'll see Finding Nemo 2, now Finding Dory. But who knows? I'm kind of in shock. :)

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  6. Well, that's assuming both FD and Tintin 2 are out in time. I wouldn't be surprised to see either fall back to 2016.

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  7. Geoffrey Rush makes everything just that bit better!


    I'd expect to see Star Wars 7 *and* Finding Dory moved to 2016.

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  8. I'd expect to see Lee Unkrich's Die de Los Muertos fiilm in late 2016, but it could always slip into 2017. Either that or Teddy Newton's film.

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  9. Hmm, you know, a few months ago, I'd have agreed with you. But the title and plot details have got me wholly on board! Wait and see, I guess.

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  10. I mean, say what you like about Cars 2, but it continued the trend of Pixar sequels being entirely different from the original. And Finding Dory seems to continue that brilliantly too.


    Yeah, same. But it certainly seems that Mr. Bird's hooked on live-action at the moment.

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  11. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 16:03

    Yeah. When I wrote that last comment, I hadn't watched the video. Now that I've watched it, I'm more excited. If Ellen DeGeneres thinks it's funny, it must be hilarious! I kind of wish that they'd come up with a more creative name, though.

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  12. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 16:05

    Didn't Brad Bird leave animation completely?

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  13. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 16:07

    Another question: Who's going to voice Nemo? I mean, on May 30, it will have been 10 years since the first movie came out, so Nemo's actor probably...definitely... won't sound the same.

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  14. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 16:13

    I think this is my last question: Who's Teddy Newton? And why haven't I heard anything about an untitled Pixar film from him (I'm guessing he's a director). I feel so stupid... :(

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  15. Good question. Alexander Gould, who voiced Nemo the first time round, is 18 now. I'm sure he could pull off a youthful voice, but I'd expect the character to be re-cast.

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  16. Teddy Newton is an animator/director who came to Pixar as part of Brad Bird's team for The Incredibles. Then he directed the short film Day & Night that preceded Toy Story 3.

    It was announced in November he was directing a new feature for Pixar. Details here: http://www.a113animation.com/2012/11/teddy-newton-directing-pixar-feature.html



    Haha, don't worry about it - you can't be expected to know everything! :)

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  17. Munir Abedrabbo3 April 2013 at 21:13

    Yeah is very much different from the original that is almost unrecognizable. I mean, The Toy Story films are not equal to each other but they feel like a very organic story. With Cars 2, you don't feel you know these characters anymore as most of them just make cameo appearances (including the first film's lead). All I want from MU and Finding Dory is that they tell new stories but that they feel like natural expansions from the original films.

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  18. Munir Abedrabbo3 April 2013 at 21:15

    I haven't heard he has abandoned animation. True, he's making live action films right now but that doesn't mean he will return to animation sometime in the future.

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  19. Future Animator3 April 2013 at 23:05

    Yeah, I guess it would be hard to leave animation!

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