Where's Dory? 'Finding Dory' will be the 2015 follow-up to 'Finding Nemo'

The long-anticipated sequel to Finding Nemo has a name: Finding Dory. That means that the goofy, scatter-brained Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) will be the star of the show in the CG-animated feature, which will release November 2015.

DeGeneres made the announcement about Finding Dory on "The Ellen Show" this morning. The talk-show host has been a huge advocate for moving the sequel forward, voicing frustration when Pixar went ahead with Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 instead of developing a follow-up to the 2003 animated feature. Now, twelve years after the original, Dory will release in November 2015. That's actually earlier than the 2016 date originally projected.

 

 

The shift from the serious father-son relationship in Finding Nemo to a project centered on its primary source of comic relief, Dory, is something of a trend in animated features. The minions in Despicable Me weren't used too heavily, but they were a comic highlight. They will be featured more prominently in this summer's Despicable Me 2, and they're also getting their own spinoff. Minions will release through Universal in December 2014, and focus entirely on the tiny peanut-like creatures.

DreamWorks Animation is also trying to give its comic characters a role in the spotlight. After appearing in three Madagascar films, its penguins will finally get to star in their own movie in The Penguins of Madagascar, which is set for a release in March 2015. It's worth noting that the penguins also have their own show on Nickelodeon with the same name, which is very popular.

While Dory was a great comic character, she managed to be multi-dimensional even in the brief span of the movie. Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo) will be directing the feature, and he's one of Pixar's best. Especially with how far animated technology has come in the last decade, the visuals, so stunning in the original, will likely reveal even more luminous oceanic plants and animals.

Disney plans more 3D releases in wake of 'The Lion King'

By Sarah Sluis

The Lion King's re-release in theatres was initially considered little more than a ploy to promote the movie's upcoming Blu-ray release. The fact that the movie was in 3D didn't seem to mean much to viewers, many of whom just aren't that into 3D anymore. However, the movie landed in first place for two weeks in a row and has since extended its run and earned $80 million. Now, Disney has announced four more re-releases, but will they experience the same success as The Lion King? Probably not.

In late 2009, Disney had Beauty and the Beast 3D on its schedule to release Feb. 2, 2010. That never happened. The movie was pushed to a few more "TBD" release dates before being taken off the schedule completely. Now Disney has the movie back on its schedule for a Jan. 13, 2012, release. Most likely, Beauty and the Beast was taken off the schedule after the double feature of Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D earned $30.5 million in its five-week run. That's not shabby for a re-release, but perhaps it wasn't enough for Disney. Now that Lion King is a success, it appears the studio is more optimistic. In fact, I predict that Beauty and the Beast will be one of the animated movies to do well in re-release. Many of The Lion King's viewers were nostalgic young adult/college student audiences who wanted to experience a childhood classic together. I even heard chatter online of people going and singing along to all the songs. Beauty and the Beast released three years before The Lion King, in 1991, so it's definitely going to be a sentimental pick for the same demographic. For similar reasons, I think the re-release of 1989's The Little Mermaid on Sept. 13, 2013 will perform strongly. Just look at the turnout and excitement for this Little Mermaid sing-along at a Brooklyn bar last year.

The other two new releases on Disney's schedule are from the CG animation era, and they will likely suffer the same fate as Disney's Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D release. The re-release of Monsters Inc. on Jan. 18, 2013, is little more than a promotion for the upcoming Monsters University. Finding Nemo's release on Sept. 14, 2012, also seems strained--it will re-release just nine years after it first opened. I don't think that's enough time to generate nostalgia or make people wistful to see the movie on the big screen.

3D re-releases of classic 2D animated films may be an easy way for Disney to make a few extra bucks, but I don't think every movie will be a success. Older, hand-drawn animated films like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid will fare better than newer, CG-animated films. And can I have a call for a re-release of Aladdin?