Wow, I just kind of have to sit back and laugh at today’s announcement from Pixar. What I thought was Ellen’s April Fools Day prank being RT’d onto my timeline today turned out to be a true-blue announcement that Andrew Stanton’s Finding Nemo sequel will be called Finding Dory, will feature “a lot more Dory” along with the rest of the returning gang, takes place a year after the original film (do all these kinds of fish live that long?), and will be released on November 25th, 2015.
Here’s the thing [cue Agent Smith voice]: “I… hate… Dory.”
I’ve never been a big fan of Finding Nemo or revisited it a quarter as many times as other Pixar films –despite acknowledging that it is otherwise one of their better efforts– all because Ellen Degeneres’ character is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Every joke that bubbles out of that fish’s mouth grates me, and her singy-song nonsense pushes me to put lethal object in and around my face. It’s not Ellen herself- I like the woman otherwise. It’s just something about this character drives me to a very dark, hateful place.
So, of course, Pixar makes this second film all about her. I realize I’m in the minority on this- so I’m happy that so many people will be happy. I still think the recent en vogue cynicism about Pixar’s sequels is a heap of horseshit: they have three original titles in development, several of which look/sound wildly interesting, even risky! And one of them is about dinosaurs! Motherfuckers can make a sequel or prequel every few years without it being the sign of creative decline. Get out of my face with that nonsense.
While I’m now checked out of this film, millions of others are going to be mad excited. Now all these parents just have to figure out how to explain to their children that they have to wait almost three years to see it…
Full press release:
When Dory said “just keep swimming” in 2003’s Oscar®-winning film “Finding Nemo,” she could not have imagined what was in store for her (not that she could remember). Ellen DeGeneres, voice of the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, revealed details today about Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory”—an all-new big-screen adventure diving into theaters on Nov. 25, 2015.
“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.”
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.
“Finding Nemo” won the 2003 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature; the film was nominated for three additional Oscars® (Best Writing, Original Screenplay; Best Music, Original Score; Best Sound Editing). It was also nominated for a Golden Globe® Award for Best Motion Picture–Comedy or Musical. In 2008, the American Film Institute named “Finding Nemo” among the top 10 greatest animated films ever made. At the time of its release, “Finding Nemo” was the highest grossing G-rated movie of all time. It’s currently the fourth highest grossing animated film worldwide. The film has more than 16 million Likes on Facebook, and Dory—with more than 24 million—is the most Liked individual character from a Disney or Disney•Pixar film.
DeGeneres’ distinctive comic voice has resonated with audiences from her first stand-up comedy appearances through her work today on television, in film and in the literary world. Her syndicated talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” is in its 10th season and has earned 38 Daytime Emmy® Awards. DeGeneres has won 12 People’s Choice Awards and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Comedian for three consecutive years. Additionally, her show won two Genesis Awards and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Talk Show Episode. For her unforgettable turn as Dory, DeGeneres was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.
via Latino Review