Disney/Pixar has announced that “Finding Nemo 2” has been officially re-titled “Finding Dory”. The release date has also been moved-up from 2016 to Wednesday, November 25, 2015 – so it’s a sure-fire blockbuster for the five-day Thanksgiving Weekend.
Ellen DeGeneres herself was the first to make the announcement by posting the film’s logo online. This quote from the Emmy-winning talk show host was part of the press release: “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time. 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.”
So it seems like Pixar is doing something similar to “Cars 2”. For that film, they took the breakout star of the original (Mater) and made him the lead. A lot of critics disliked that decision (even though I didn’t), but as Oscar-winning “Nemo” director Andrew Stanton (who’s also helming this sequel) says, “There is no Dory without Ellen. She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world – not to mention our team here at Pixar.”
Stanton, who also directed Disney’s infamous live-action 2012 bomb “John Carter”, is giving-out some details of the plot: “One thing we couldn’t stop thinking is why (Dory) 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.” Stanton also reveals that the story takes place about a year after “Nemo”, and that Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and the Tank Gang will all return along with several new characters who play a key role in Dory’s life.
“Finding Dory” will also mark the first time Pixar has released two animated features in the same year. “Inside Out” will open five months earlier on June 19, 2015. We’ll see if that changes because Disney/Pixar may want to make “Finding Dory” their primary Oscar contender for Best Animated Feature for the year.