Disney announced today the upcoming Finding Nemo sequel won’t be Finding Nemo 2, in fact it will be titled Finding Dory as Ellen DeGeneres returns as the voice of the forgetful blue tang fish with a release date already set for November 25, 2015. That date, coincidentally, is also the date Fox has tentatively set for the Peanuts film based on Charles Schulz‘s Charlie Brown comic strip, but I have to assume that will now change.
Original Finding Nemo director and director WALL•E, Andrew Stanton, will return to direct this film as his first since the John Carter debacle.
Finding Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life.
As of now, DeGeneres and Brooks are the only cast members that appear to be attached, but I’m sure we’ll hear more soon enough including the likes of Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett and Geoffrey Rush.
“I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” said DeGeneres. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is–it’s got a lot more Dory.”
DeGeneres also announced the news on her show shortly after the press release was sent out to press. Watch below.