Dory Swims Back: Ellen DeGeneres Returns in New Finding Nemo Short

Well, here we go again: Pixar is heading back into the ocean. According to Deadline, Ellen DeGeneres is getting ready to dust off her vocal chords as Dory in a brand new Finding Nemo short. The project is just kicking off, so pretty much everything about the plot is locked up tight for now. Still, if you’ve been pining for more lost-fish hijinks (even if it’s just a short), this should scratch the itch.

Some Quick Backstory: Why Finding Nemo Still Matters

If you somehow missed the whole cultural tidal wave: Finding Nemo wasn’t just another pretty Pixar movie. It kicked off with a classic duo—Albert Brooks’ worrywart Marlin and DeGeneres’ famously forgetful Dory—on a quest to find Marlin’s missing kid, Nemo (Alexander Gould). Cue dangerous currents, hungry sharks, fish who speak whale, and a surprisingly emotional journey that sees Marlin learning to actually trust his son.

The stats are ridiculous: over $940 million at the box office, plus an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. For context, that was nearly two decades ago and it’s still top-tier Pixar.

Sequels, Success, and Why We Haven’t Gotten ‘Finding Porgy’ Yet

It’s actually kind of wild that Pixar hasn’t cranked out three or four more of these yet. We got Finding Dory more than ten years after the original—a sequel that let Dory take the lead, chasing down her own family roots. That one did even better: $1 billion worldwide and critics, once again, ate it up.

So why didn’t the studio immediately greenlight Finding Gerald or whatever? A lot of it comes down to director Andrew Stanton. He once admitted he was pretty wary of getting sucked into endless sequels:

'I was very paranoid, like, "We’re not going to say the words ‘Finding anything’ out loud to anybody, including in-house." I just knew the minute those words came out of my mouth, I’d never be able... the horse would be out of the barn, and we’d never be able to put it back in.'

Stanton said after making Finding Dory, he felt like he’d closed the original story’s emotional loop. Still, he didn’t completely slam the door on the whole franchise: new characters, bigger ocean, who knows? Pixar is never really done as long as the ideas keep coming.

So, Is Finding Nemo 3 on the Table?

Fast forward to 2024. Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter teased that there might be more fishy business down the line: 'Where else have we not gone in the ocean? The ocean's a big place. I think there's a lot of opportunity there. We're kind of fishing around.' (Yes, he actually went there.)

Right now, this new short with Ellen back as Dory isn’t a full-on third movie, but honestly, it’s a decent test balloon. If it makes waves—and let’s face it, it probably will—don’t be surprised if we’re diving right back into another feature.

• What’s Official: Ellen DeGeneres is back as Dory in a new short. Plot is totally under wraps.
• The Legacy: Finding Nemo and Finding Dory together have pulled in nearly $2 billion worldwide and are still swimming happily in pop culture.
• Sequel Roadblocks: Director Andrew Stanton, originally resistant, now says the door isn’t slammed shut on more sequels, but nothing is official.
• Pixar’s Position: Pete Docter seems open to new ideas for the franchise—just as long as they find the right story.

Bottom line: Keep your expectations in check (for now), but if you ever wanted more Dory, you’re about to get exactly what you wished for.