We’ve known since the middle of last year that Andrew Stanton and Team Pixar were planning to make a Finding Nemo sequel. Today, Disney and Pixar have announced the title, Finding Dory, and the fact that it’ll swim into US cinemas on November 25, 2015.
As the title might suggest, the new film will focus a little more on the forgetful blue tang and introduce her family. According to Stanton, Finding Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favourites 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.
“I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” says Ellen 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.”
“There is no Dory without Ellen,” says 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.”
Albert Brooks is locked in to play Marlin once again, and given the synopsis, we’d expect an announcement about other casting details soon. While this won’t do much to quell worries about Team Pixar pumping out sequels, it’s worth noting that A) the majority of their follow-ups to date have been great and B) the filmmakers have three original movies on the way versus the two sequels (Monsters University and Finding Dory) planned. There’s no official word on when Finding Dory will arrive on UK screens; hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.