D23 Madness! Part 3: Finding Dory

Concept art from Pixar's Finding Dory

Pixar really shocked us all back in April when they announced that the beloved Finding Nemo was getting a sequel, scheduled for release in November of 2015. I mean, sure, there had been some rumors flying about prior to the big reveal, but I had personally taken them with a grain of salt. It took a while for me to accept the fact that this was happening (for years I had dreaded the idea of a second Nemo film), but I've really warmed up to the idea now. Whereas some people will cry out "Why? Why, Pixar? Why?", I try to instead ask, "Why not?". Finding Nemo introduced us to an amazing cast of characters who lived in a magnificent setting that looked absolutely glorious in an animated film, so I'm actually now quite looking forward to diving back into the big blue with Nemo, Marlin, and of course, the adorable Dory, who just so happens to be the lead this time around. In Finding Dory, we'll learn more about the forgetful fish's origins and along the way, meet some of her long-lost loved ones. Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres are set to reprise their roles as Marlin and Dory, respectively, but the aquatic sequel will see some great new additions to the cast as well.

• Diane Keaton voices Dory's mother, Jenny
• Eugene Levy voices Dory's father, Charlie
• Ty Burrell voices a beluga whale named Bailey

Nope, no Bill Hader in this one. No word yet on who will provide the voice of Nemo, although it's probably a safe bet to assume Alexander Gould (now 19 years old) will not return to voice the curious clownfish, as Finding Dory is set only one year after the events of the original film, so having Gould back would make for quite the awkward transition between films. Unless, of course, clownfish age really fast...

The plot details that were dropped at the Expo last month really grabbed my attention. As previously mentioned, the film takes place just a year after the first movie and sees Dory now living with Marlin and Nemo (whether she lives inside or outside the anemone is a mystery to me) when a traumatic event occurs that causes her homing instincts to kick in and hence go on a journey across the sea, determined to find her family.

With what seems to be an interesting premise for a sequel and Andrew Stanton back as director, I think Finding Dory is on track to being a worthy follow-up to one of the greatest animated films of all time. Will it be as good as or better than its predecessor? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows. But that's a relatively tall order. As long as it's a solid continuation that complements the original and allows us to spend some more time with these amazing characters, it'll be fine.