The days of Pixar being the lone wolf animation studio focused on original ideas over franchises is long gone. With "Toy Story" staying alive in a series of shorts, a pretty disappointing looking "Monsters University" coming this spring and yes, a "Finding Nemo" sequel, the animation house is just as concerned about licensing as Walt Disney, DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox are. A brand is a brand, and there are toys to sell. And so, "Finding Nemo 2" is officially a thing but at least we'll have Albert Brooks back.
It's taken a while — Ellen Degeneres was confirmed last summer — but Brooks has signed to play Marlin in the followup movie. There are no plot details being revealed, so don't ask, but Andrew Stanton will lick his wounds after "John Carter," returning to the animation world and getting behind the camera of this one (he co-directed the first movie), with a script by Victoria Strouse ("New Best Friend"). And with a release date not expected until 2016, it means this movie will be landing thirteen years after the original. So, all the kids who grew up with "Finding Nemo" will be entering adulthood, not that it will matter on the potential box office.
No word yet on who else from the original voice cast will return, but mostly, we just hope this is a sequel worth caring about. [Deadline]