Secrets From Finding Nemo You Won’t Want to Forget

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Sometimes it can be hard to catch a film’s prevailing message.

For those who delved into the core concept of the 2003 film, “Finding Nemo” – a humorous and emotional Disney animation featuring a lovable clownfish named Nemo (voiced by future star of “Weeds”, Alexander Gould) who becomes separated from his overly protective father Marlin – it would be straightforward to grasp the main theme.

With the lively and somewhat forgetful blue tang sidekick of Marlin, a charming character named Dory, portrayed by Ellen DeGeneres, she would say, “When things seem tough, remember, all you need to do is, simply, keep on swimming.

Swimming was what they did, navigating their path from 42 Wallaby Way to the frightened father of Nemo, Marlin, and ultimately winning over movie-goers’ hearts.

The Pixar production, titled “Best Animated Feature,” surpassed other animated films to become the top-earning one at its release, raking in over $940 million globally on a budget of approximately $94 million and receiving four Oscar nominations. Ultimately, it was the recipient of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Demonstrating that fish are companions rather than meals, the entire group created a new wave in 2016 through the release of the sequel titled “Finding Dory“.

For DeGeneres, the franchise was a chance to finally stop swimming against the current. 

At a London press conference while promoting “Finding Dory”, she admitted that at the time, she had no job offers coming in. She had been out of work for three years. Overjoyed to have been given any opportunity, she was just about to start working at Olive Garden. She couldn’t believe it when an offer came her way, let alone a role in a Pixar movie. It was truly incredible.

In connection with the premiere of her self-titled talk show, as well as the release of the first movie, she remarked, “It undeniably rescued me in numerous aspects.

As an ardent aquarium enthusiast, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness when some fish didn’t make it – unfortunately, we had to break the news to young fish-keepers that flushing their pets wouldn’t miraculously return them to the ocean. Yet, for those of us who persevered, we continued our aquatic journey, paddling onward with undeterred dedication.

Join us as we dive into some behind-the-scenes secrets from Finding Nemo. 

In the opening scene of “Finding Nemo” from 2003, Mr. Ray’s group of fish swam past a total of 12,996 meticulously animated coral structures.

Nemo’s name is a nod to Captain Nemo from Jules Verne‘s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Initially, it was William H. Macy who lent his voice to Marlin, the overprotective father of Nemo, but Andrew Stanton’s initial preference was Albert Brooks for the role. However, following an early screening, Brooks took over from Macy in the role.

Bruce the shark has 202 teeth, each of which can be animated individually.

Megan Mullally, a cast member from “Will & Grace”, revealed that she lost her role when she chose not to deliver lines in the trademark high-pitched tone of her character, Karen Walker.

She expressed to a New York radio station, “Let me clarify this: You’re suggesting that the fish in the dentist’s office is a fictional character from an NBC sitcom? That idea simply doesn’t resonate with me.

Look closely and you’ll find Toy Story‘s Buzz Lightyear on the floor in the dentist’s office.

Out of the Tank Gang in P. Sherman’s denistry office, Bubbles has the least amount of dialogue.

To create a more authentic underwater world for their movie, Pixar’s art team was asked to attend classes and listen to lectures on fish anatomy (ichthyology), marine life (marine biology), and ocean studies (oceanography). Additionally, they were obligated to learn scuba diving skills.

In the jellyfish sequence, Pixar’s Marine Division developed a novel shading technique called “translucent transparency” or simply “transblurrency”.

(The goal here is to simplify the technical term “transblurrency”, making it more accessible and easier to understand for readers who may not be familiar with such terms.)

Two of the turtles are named after citrus soda brands: Crush and Squirt.

In this case, Pixar’s initial movie didn’t feature Randy Newman’s composition as usual. Instead, it was Thomas Newman – Randy’s relative – who created the film’s music score.

The first Pixar movie to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is this one. Prior to the establishment of this category in the award ceremony, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story, and Toy Story 2 were already released, with Monsters, Inc. being edged out by Shrek in the same category.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but notice one vessel in Sydney Harbor that bears the distinctive name “For the Birds.” This moniker, you see, is a clever nod to the charming Pixar short film with an identical title.

A boy in the dentist’s office reads a Mr. Incredible comic book, foreshadowing The Incredibles.

Finding Nemo was the first Pixar movie to have a post-credits scene.

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2025-05-30 10:17