Pixar’s ‘Finding Nemo’ Sequel Comes With One Huge Twist

Dory is heading back to theaters.

Disney has confirmed another Finding Nemo project, but it isn’t the feature-length sequel many fans may have expected. Instead, Pixar is taking the franchise in a very different direction.

The studio announced the project during its presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Friday.

Called Loving Dory, the new theatrical short follows Dory after she mistakes a floating plastic bag for a jellyfish and falls in love with it.

It’s an unexpected premise for one of Pixar’s biggest franchises.

Lou Hamou-Lhadj is directing the short, while Mary Alice Drumm serves as producer. Disney also unveiled the first concept art at Annecy, although it has yet to announce a release date.

The project will receive a theatrical release rather than debuting on Disney+.

Disney has not revealed which movie Loving Dory will play before. Pixar’s next theatrical feature is Gatto, scheduled for release on March 5, 2027.

Pixar Keeps Returning to Familiar Favorites

The announcement comes as Pixar continues to lean on established franchises.

The studio still produces original films, including this year’s Hoppers and 2027’s Gatto, but sequels have become a much bigger part of its theatrical strategy.

Recent results have only reinforced that approach.

Inside Out 2 earned $1.699 billion worldwide in 2024, while Toy Story 5 opened to an estimated $312 million globally, giving Pixar its biggest movie debut of 2026.

More sequels are already on the way.

Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 are both in development, with Loving Dory now joining the growing list of returning Pixar franchises.

The Finding Nemo series has already shown it can sustain more than one story.

After the original film became a global hit in 2003, Pixar followed it with Finding Dory in 2016. That sequel shifted the focus to Dory’s search for her parents and became another major box office success.

Ellen DeGeneres Returns as Dory

The Annecy announcement also confirmed Ellen DeGeneres will reprise her role as Dory.

The comedian has rarely taken on new Hollywood projects in recent years.

After The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended and she released a Netflix stand-up special in 2024, DeGeneres said she had retired from the entertainment industry. She later relocated to the English countryside with her wife, Portia de Rossi.

Her exit followed controversy surrounding her daytime talk show.

In 2020, former employees accused The Ellen DeGeneres Show of fostering a toxic workplace culture. The allegations prompted internal investigations and a public apology from DeGeneres.

Loving Dory was first reported by Deadline in April, but Annecy marked Disney’s first official announcement.

It wasn’t the only animated short revealed at the festival.

Walt Disney Animation Studios also announced Lilo & Scratch, its first theatrical short in five years, expanding the Lilo & Stitch franchise following its recent resurgence.

For Finding Nemo, however, the biggest surprise is the story itself.

Rather than sending Dory on another search across the ocean, Pixar’s latest installment revolves around an unlikely romance with a floating plastic bag she mistakes for a jellyfish.

Are you excited to see Dory return in Loving Dory?