The sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo is being produced by WALL-E co-producer Lindsey Collins, with a screenplay by a mostly unknown writer, Victoria Strouse.
Personally, I think we all knew this was coming. Nemo is one of Pixar's top successes and many fans (and cast member Ellen DeGeneres, who voiced Dory) have been clamoring for a follow-up for years.
It makes sense from all angles, except for the perception that Pixar has been pursuing too many sequels/prequels lately—although the studio has three original features in production following next summer's Monsters University.
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I'm not against a sequel to Finding Nemo. If this turns out to be a 'one for you and one for me' deal as some sites are suggesting, it may give Andrew a chance to do a John Carter of Mars sequel that he's wanted...
If so I'm all for it!
You want a Carter sequel?
I wouldn't be against a Carter sequel, it was a pretty decent romp for the source material but yeah, that won't be happening. Finding Nemo sequel? Well, following a Monster Inc. prequel I think it's good, not sure what they expect to do given like M.I it was pretty self-encapsulated and didn't really have much lead for a follow-on but sure, I'll welcome it, gets us closer to our Incredibles sequel too!
Finding Nemo Again
Given that Pixar's slate after Monsters University sees them making films about dinosaurs, the inside of a child's mind and Dia de los Muertos, I suppose it's not too disheartening that they're planning another sequel now. But Nemo seems an odd one to revisit as opposed to The Incredibles.
To be honest, I'm not sure if Finding Nemo 2 will work. I know this is Pixar but the main motivation for this, while not money, isn't about plot either. The main motivation for this is to get Stanton out of director jail when John Carter bombed. Stanton previously said he was reluctant to direct this. When Carter bombed, there were no jobs available other than to do Finding Nemo 2. Finding Nemo itself felt like a self contained story rather than lending itself to a sequel. This is the first pixar sequel where I felt isn't necessary or needed unlike Toy Story, Cars, and Monsters University. If any Pixar film needs a sequel, it would be Incredibles 2. Unfortunately, it won't happen because Disney has The Avengers.
HAHAHAHA! April Foo...Wait....It's July....NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It Can't Be! Not This! Not Finding Nemo 2!
I would rather have a Carter sequel, simply because at least Finding Nemo would be preserved as the perfect little film it is. But Stanton's attachment is hopeful...
Honestly, this is a little disappointing. How can Finding Nemo have a sequel? Are they going to find Nemo again? I hope at least they come up with a new title, and don't just call it "Finding Nemo 2." I'm not completely against the idea, it could be good, but it just seems...unnecessary. Plus I hate that Pixar suddenly has decided all their films need sequels, like they're dreamworks or something. Meh!
The company has gotten so big so fast, that I feel they've unraveled in their quest to expand; forgetting their roots of persecution by Eisner and Disney to not only make tons of sequels, but how they stabbed them in the back with a contract loophole.
They've forgotten the painful route they had to carve out to make films that broke molds. They use to have ideals in their humble beginnings, but I can't help but feel they lost sight of the bigger picture when they became so popular and merged with a multinational multibillion dollar corporation.
They've become complacent. They have become insatiable. They have lost their way.
Film budgets rose to obscene levels. Sequels, franchise shorts, and spinoffs started appearing left and right. They pushed to have a film every year regardless of whether they could keep the quality high or not. They expanded to Canada and built another building in Emeryville.
Their films might have top talent and be fantastic, but their films are increasingly becoming glorified two hour toy commercials. The films that make the most money and thus merchandising sales are the sequels. The familiar and the contrived. The masses eat it up. There's no reason to make original stories anymore, when you can easily make the same thing over and over again quite easily and make more money. Risk will dwindle even further at Pixar as they slowly become what they despised and tried so desperately to escape. They will be become Disney. A machine that pumps out a brand lifestyle that sells garbage to children. Cars 2 was just the tip of the iceberg.
I should point out I'm not totally against sequels, or some merchandise, but it's clear were this is headed. Finding Nemo is a sacred piece of film making to me. It doesn't need a sequel. It was made because a storyteller had something to say. Not because he wanted to set up a franchise, or he wanted to use it as a bargaining chip to make more films after a very expensive flop.
Due to the circumstances back in 1999, Toy Story 2 turned out well considering they were being whipped by Disney. They waited a long time for Toy Story 3, it's a worthy wrap up to the saga. Unfortunately, because it became their highest grossing movie, they want to dig it and other films up and rape it for every cent. At one time they prided themselves with conditioning the audience with an original film every time. The complete opposite of what everyone else does. That's going away now. There will be a Cars 3, a Toy Story 4, and enough merchandising to fill plenty of landfills.
Pixar doesn't need sequels. It needs to be slapped in the face. Andrew Stanton once said, "I don't want my kids to ask me if I made Finding Nemo 1 or 2. I couldn't live with myself if that happened." What happened, Andrew... what happened... You've had so many intelligence quotes, and I admired you. You've become a cornered animal, unwilling to attack or die trying. You use to have integrity.
they better come up with a very very very clever IDEA to this. maybe instead its nemo that has to look for his dad this time. whatever the case im sure it will be good.
I suppose it IS Andrew Stanton directing. John Carter wasn't that great, but I believe Andrew Stanton said himself one of the biggest challenges with directing live action was that he didn't have as much time to develop and change the story. Perhaps he just needs the extra years to create a good story....
On the other hand.....ANOTHER NON-INCREDIBLES SEQUEL?! Pixar?! Why??
Out of all the Pixar movies, I think Finding Nemo is the most conclusive of tales, and in the least need of a sequel. I could understand something like a Dory short...but that's a bit different.
Hmm. I used to be opposed to the idea of another Nemo movie, but now that it's actually happening, for whatever reason it doesn't sound like such a terrible idea anymore.
Robby: Mabye They Could Do "Finding Marlin" or "Finding Dory". If Nemo Get's Lost Again, I'll Have To Punch Someone In The Nose!
Oh dear... here we go again.
I agree with the very long "Anonymous" post from above. I could not be more disappointed at this news.
Cars 2 was a joke, but at least I understood why they would make it. I kept telling myself that if this is what it takes for them to be able to make enough money (through merchandising, not so much box office) to continue making ambitious masterpieces like Up and Wall-E, then that's fine.
Brave, in my opinion, was subpar compared to the rest of the (non Cars) Pixar canon, but at least defensible as trying something new by doing a period piece and having a female lead. Even though I saw flashes of Disney/Dreamworks in there (I gag when I think of "feast your eyes!"), there were some moments that were truly Pixar, like the archery competition.
Monsters University doesn't have me jumping for joy like past upcong releases did, but again I can understand it and I am sure I will be happy with it, especially because it is a prequel and will not mess with what I believe is Pixar's finest movie ending.
I was ready to call this period of sequels just a blip on the radar, an uncharacteristic fault by my still-favorite movie studio, especially with three unique original ideas on the horizon from Pixar lifers with Bob Peterson's The Good Dinosaur, Pete Doctor's "inside the mind" film, and Lee Unkrich's Dia de Los Muertos film.
However, this to me signifies a much larger problem. As much as I would like to trust Andrew Stanton to make a great movie, I don't think Finding Nemo should be touched. I think it is a perfect movie, the best thing Pixar has ever done, and my personal favorite film of all time.
The entire language surrounding the news break seems to go against everything they once believed in. Even though I agree with most people who think The Incredibles is perfect for a sequel, Brad Bird once said that he would only do an Incredibles sequel if he came up with a truly great idea for it. I obviously could be wrong, but it seems like Stanton is just "agreeing" to do this film and going to figure it out, instead of doing it because he has come up with a great idea for a second film with these characters.
Where Pixar once could do no wrong in my eyes (roughly two years ago), I hate to admit that now I am highly skeptical of many of the moves I hear coming out of the studio, and slightly disappointed by some of them. And I really don't care if Finding Nemo 2 (I cringe just typing that) is great, I will still consider it having ruined the perfect, self contained story that was Finding Nemo.
You Know, Those Upcoming Finding Nemo Blu-Ray /3D Theatrical Releases Coming Up Suddenly Make Sense.
Tweet from Stanton: "Didn't you all learn from Chicken Little? Everyone calm down. Don't believe everything you read. Nothing to see here now. #skyisnotfalling" Could just be diverting the talk before an official announcement, or maybe it was actually just a rumor.
I'm not convinced. Didn't I see Stanton joking about Nemo sequels on Twitter the other day? Maybe they've gotten the wrong end of the stick on this one.
Has anyone seen Stanton's latest tweet??! It says "Didn't you all learn from Chicken Little? Everyone calm down. Don't believe everything you read. Nothing to see here now. #skyisnotfalling" maybe this isn't happening maybe we are getting more Pixar originals. Or maybe Stanton just wanted to calm people down and let the news flow later.
Pixar, please cut it out. I love your movies, but you're doing too many effing sequels. 'Nuff said.
Stanton's tweet is a classic non-denial denial.
Out of all the pixar sequels, this is the first one I feel that Disney is telling them to do. The main motivator is just to find work for stanton when there could have been more available projects for him. The other pixar sequels I felt were created internally at pixar without disneys influence.
So you think it's just a rumor, Mike? Or the other way around?
I really hope it's just that. As many others have pointed out, Finding Nemo's beauty -partly- relies on it being a self-contained film which feels conclusive, pretty much like Ratatouille. A sequel just feels unnecessary as Robby said.
On the other hand, Chris Etrata's theory seems plausible to me. It's Andrew's way out of 'director jail.' To play safe.
If you ask me, I think that back in 2006, with the Pixar buyout was implied some sort of agreement to develop sequels to all their movies, just as Disney attempted to do a few months before. The benefit being that Pixar was the one studio who got to make them, not Disney.
And if this ever turns out to be true, I certainly hope the plot is way better than the original (as good as the original won't do) and that they change the title to something different than Finding Nemo 2.
Oh, and the 5:02 Anonymous' and Ralph Sloane's comments summarize exactly what I think.
I think it's happening.
Pixar has stated time and time again, if they have another story to tell, they will tell it. I really don't understand the mindset that says, "They don't own these characters, they didn't come up with them, blah blah blah."
It's not like Disney is sending it overseas to become Cinderella 4: The Other Lost Slipper cheapquel that Pixar seems to hate so much.
I doubt it would be called Finding Nemo 2, but more like Monsters Inc to University.
My family and I cannot wait for a Nemo 2!
As much as I loved Pixar's Toy Story 3, and as much as I appreciate John Lasseter's efforts to bring back hand-drawn animation to Disney, I think things would have been better if Pixar was never bought out. Cars 2 was the first sign of the company's fast decline. (the second movie to have started it's preproduction stages completely after the finished buy-out) I don't think we'll be seeing a Pixar movie as bad as Cars 2 for a while, but their dynasty is over. They're just another animation studio that sometimes makes good movies, and sometimes doesn't. Pixar and Dreamworks are becoming the same.
I hope it is just a rumor. Making a sequel to Finding Nemo is like making a sequel to WALL-E or Up; it can't be done and shouldn't be done. The story ends there; where can they go form here?
Cars 2 was the first sign of decline? Seriously? Did you see how much that movie made? Cars has an audience, it just isn't you. Pixar makes a lot of films that appeal to different folks. Films like TS3 and Up are incredible films that don't happen every year. Ratatouille was good, but it was no Up. Cars was good, but it was no Ratatouille.
Nemo 2 can't be done? Really? Why do you think that? I'm sure they will be just fine coming up with stories for all of their sequels.
Pixar becoming Dreamworks? Now you've lost your mind.
Nick R., Cars 2 was an aesthetic failure, not a commercial one. On average, if you surveyed most of the adult audience, I think you'd find that most Pixar fans were disappointed with Cars 2. It made money initially, because people thought "Hey, it's Pixar, of course it'll be good." And then it's DVDs came more from the fact that little children wanted the film. Cars 2 may have been a commercial success, but it was an aesthetic bomb.
Pixar has always made FAMILY movies, you know, films that can be enjoyed by people of any age. The fact that Pixar neglected their adult audience by giving them a crappy film is a shame.
Sure, I don't expect every film to be as awesome as WALL-E, and I actually did enjoy Brave somewhat. But they can only continue to make great films consistently like they used to if the institutional structure of the studio is conducive for a creative environment. How can you inspire your staff if they're working on nothing but spin-offs and sequels?
I think I know what their future line up is. Toy Story 4, Bug's Life 2, Monsters School, Cars 3, Ratatouille 2, Wall-E 2, (what's) Up, Braver... everything except Incredibles 2. :-/
I've never understood the idea of Pixar now being 'consumed by sequels'. Seriously. Even if this is true (and I won't believe anything until an official announcement), how many sequels/prequels have they done, including ones in production? You could count them on one hand.
And how fickle can some people be? They make all these great movies, but when 1 or 2 come along that you don't like, now you doubt and second guess everything they do?
Okay... I'm done venting :)
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