2012-07-18

While we hold firm to the idea that Andrew Stanton’s John Carter was unjustly torn down, we can’t say we’re 100% shocked by this development: Stanton has reportedly decided to return to Pixar full time to direct the follow up to Finding Nemo. This being Pixar, the company won’t even comment on Deadline’s story as the Emeryville gang guards its development secrets closely. But Stanton has apparently come up with a concept that his fellow Brain Trust members – including the likes of John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Lee Unkrich, Pete Docter and more – loves, which means it should trundle into active development sometime this year. Plus, given how beloved and successful Nemo was (it still ranks as Pixar’s second-highest-grossing release) we expect the usual complaints about the company doing sequels to be tempered with interest in what the fishy world will reveal next. For Stanton, it’s a chance to throw himself back into a world he loves just as much as the audience, and, according to Deadline, it’s also part of an idea that producing the new Nemo will convince Disney to give him another shot at a live-action movie somewhere down the road. We’d guess the Mouse House will want to rein in the budget a little more this time, but consider the model of David Fincher, who kicked off his career with Alien 3 and has since gone on to no little success… The original will be re-released in 3D later this year across the sea and on March 29 on these shores. So come on then – out with your guesses. What do you think Nemo 2 (assuming it makes it through Pixar’s tough screening process) will be about?