Finding Nemo
A father and a forgetful friend search the ocean from the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney Harbour.
Finding Nemo is an American animated film series franchise that began with the 2003 film of the same name, produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the original story follows a clownfish named Nemo who gets abducted from his home in the Great Barrier Reef and winds up in a dentist's office aquarium. His overprotective father Marlin, along with an amnesiac regal tang named Dory, searches for him all the way to Sydney Harbour. The series received widespread critical acclaim, grossing $1.9 billion worldwide across its two films released to date.
- Release date (first film)
- 2003
- Release date (sequel)
- 2016
- Director
- Andrew Stanton
- Total worldwide gross
- $1.9 billion
- Pixar film count (nemo)
- 5th
- Pixar film count (dory)
- 17th
Lore & Background
The franchise expands beyond the original film with a standalone sequel, Finding Dory, released in 2016. This second installment focuses on the amnesiac character Dory as she travels to California to find her long-lost parents, Jenny and Charlie. Director Andrew Stanton noted in June 2016 that he felt Finding Dory was the "missing piece, emotionally, for the first movie." He emphasized that sequels must feel inevitable and preordained, a challenge he found just as hard, if not harder, on Finding Dory to achieve successfully.
Reader's Guide
The series consists of two main films directed by Andrew Stanton: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016). Finding Nemo is the fifth Pixar film, while Finding Dory is the seventeenth. Both are set in the ocean, with the first traveling from the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney Harbour, and the second moving from there to Morro Bay, California. The franchise also includes short films such as "Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau" (2003), where characters interrupt a documentary, and "Marine Life Interviews" (2016). Future developments include a potential third film; while Andrew Stanton stopped saying "never" in 2016, Pete Docter suggested in May 2024 that the studio was considering another installment. However, Ellen DeGeneres stated in July 2024 she would not reprise her role as Dory again, though a new short film is announced for April 25, 2026.
Did You Know?
- Finding Nemo was the best-selling DVD of all time, with over 40 million copies sold as of 2006.
- The short film 'Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau' features Marlin, Dory, and Nemo interrupting a real documentary about the Great Barrier Reef.
- Ellen DeGeneres announced in July 2024 that her Netflix special would be her last act in show business, stating she was not returning as Dory at that time.
- Finding Nemo is the second highest-grossing film of 2003, trailing only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
- In a 2016 Q&A, Ellen DeGeneres responded to questions about reprising her role by saying, 'No, I'm going bye-bye, remember.'
More in Products & Works
Elsewhere in Pixar
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced