Pixar had great success with Finding Nemo and its $1 billion sequel, but I’m already worried about their plans for Finding Nemo 3. In early June 2024, Pixar announced that they want to focus more on familiar stories in an interview with Bloomberg. They mentioned that movies like Turning Red and Luca didn’t do as well as expected, so they want to work on projects that are more likely to succeed by creating sequels or spinoffs. They hinted that they might bring back franchises like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.
Both Finding Nemo and The Incredibles have already done well with their sequels, so it’s surprising that Pixar hasn’t tried to build on these franchises more. The Incredibles 2 made an impressive $1.2 billion, and Finding Dory also earned over $1 billion. Given those figures, it seems like Pixar could do well by making more sequels. Still, I can’t help but feel that Finding Nemo 3 could be a big risk for the Disney-owned studio.
Finding Dory was good, but a step down from Finding Nemo 3
Finding Dory might have made a bit more than Finding Nemo’s $941 million at the box office, but many people, including me, felt it was not as good as the original from 2003. The first movie was a huge success, and its 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes shows how well-loved it is. Finding Nemo was beautifully made and unlike anything Pixar had released before. Marlin’s journey to find his son was both emotional and entertaining, and fans still remember the best quotes from the movie today.
While Finding Dory also has a high Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%, it didn’t make as big of an impact. I think Pixar waited too long to release the 2016 sequel, which hurt its overall reception. Plus, Dory’s journey sometimes feels repetitive. I enjoyed following her character, and the sequel had its good moments, but it just couldn’t match the original. This raises concerns for Finding Nemo 3, especially with Pixar facing recent box office struggles; it can’t afford to keep going in this downward trend.
Do we Really need another Nemo Movie?
While Finding Nemo 3 can’t afford to fail, the lack of a real need for another sequel raises concerns. When studios consider sequels and spinoffs, they should always ask if another project is necessary. For Finding Nemo, it doesn’t seem like there’s a strong reason. Nemo and Marlin’s story wrapped up nicely, and Dory already had her time to shine. I can’t think of any other character who would make a truly interesting main character for Finding Nemo 3. There are some great supporting characters, but it’s uncertain if they would draw a wide audience.
Even though Finding Nemo 3 can’t afford to fail, the lack of need for another sequel makes that a real possibility.
Dory is one of the few supporting characters from Finding Nemo who could attract a wide audience in a sequel. However, since her own movie didn’t quite match the original, another follow-up seems risky. Plus, it raises the question of how much more Pixar can explore the Finding Nemo concept. There are only so many ways to tell the story. I guess Pixar could consider rebooting the franchise, but that might be even worse than making repetitive or unnecessary sequels.
A Nemo 3 reboot sounds even worse than a sequel
Since Pixar hasn’t made it clear whether they’re planning sequels or reboots for Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, it’s possible that Finding Nemo 3 could actually be a reboot. However, that would likely face a lot of criticism, especially since the original movie is so beloved and still fresh in people’s minds. Many moviegoers have complained about Hollywood rebooting properties that are only a couple of decades old. There’s not much room to improve on Finding Nemo, so a reboot would probably get a similar negative reaction.
It would be really hard to replace the voice cast of Finding Nemo or recreate the special conditions that made the original so successful. Finding Nemo was loved for its uniqueness, and I don’t think Pixar could impress audiences easily with a reboot. Some fans might just choose to watch the original instead of going to see a new version, while others would compare it to the 2003 film and likely find it lacking. For the sake of Finding Nemo 3, I hope it ends up being a sequel or spinoff. Even then, Pixar would still have a tough job convincing audiences to see it.
