Pixar has confirmed a surprising new sequel for Finding Nemo (2003).The animation studio has increasingly leaned on familiar franchises as theatrical audiences have become harder to predict. While original films remain part of the slate, sequels, spin-offs, and shorts based on established IP (particularly those with a track record for pulling in the big bucks at the box office) have become a far bigger priority.Credit: PixarIf the numbers are anything to go by, this won’t be changing any time soon. Toy Story 5 opened to an estimated $312 million worldwide, making it the franchise’s biggest opening weekend ever and the largest movie debut of 2026 so far. And in 2024, Inside Out 2 took home a whopping $1.699 billion to temporarily become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.The studio has several more franchise projects in development, including Incredibles 3 and Coco 2, interspersed with original features such as Gatto (2027) and this year’s Hoppers.The Finding Nemo franchise already proved it could sustain more than one film. After the original became both a critical and commercial phenomenon in 2003, Pixar returned to the underwater world 13 years later with Finding Dory.Credit: PixarThat sequel shifted the focus to Ellen DeGeneres’ forgetful blue tang, exploring her search for her parents while introducing new characters and locations. It became another enormous box office success, cementing Dory as one of Pixar’s most popular characters.Pixar Reveals ‘Loving Dory’ at AnnecyDisney has officially unveiled another Finding Nemo project during a presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Friday, June 26.A new short, Loving Dory, will follow Dory after she falls in love with a floating plastic bag, mistaking it for a jellyfish. The project is directed by Lou Hamou-Lhadj and produced by Mary Alice Drumm.Credit: DisneyConcept art shown at Annecy offered the first glimpse of the story, although Disney has yet to reveal when audiences will see the finished film.Unlike many recent Pixar shorts, Loving Dory is being produced for theaters. However, Disney has not confirmed which feature it will accompany. The studio’s next theatrical Pixar release is the aforementioned Gatto, arriving on March 5, 2027.A new Finding Nemo short was first mentioned by Dealdine in April. The official announcement also confirms Ellen DeGeneres’ return as Dory, despite the comedian largely stepping away from Hollywood in recent years.Credit: PixarFollowing the end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a 2024 Netflix stand-up special, DeGeneres said she had retired from the entertainment industry. She and her wife, Portia de Rossi, later relocated to the English countryside.Her departure followed years of controversy surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2020, former employees accused the daytime series of fostering a toxic workplace culture, prompting internal investigations and a public apology from DeGeneres.Loving Dory was not the only surprise animation short announced at Annecy. Walt Disney Animation Studios also revealed Lilo & Scratch, its first new theatrical short in five years, expanding the world of Lilo & Stitch following the franchise’s recent resurgence.Are you excited for Loving Dory?The post Pixar Confirms Another ‘Finding Nemo’ Sequel With Unexpected Plot appeared first on Inside the Magic.