Disney-Pixar movies have been meaningful to more than one generation of viewers. The movies have evolved considerably in twenty-five years, but they're still recognizable as quality family films made with a lot of heart and imagination.
Some Finding Nemo 2, a movie that never got to be.
Finding Marlin
The basic storyline for Finding Nemo 2 got out even though the film was not made. One aspect is that by some unknown circumstance, Marlin gets captured and must be saved. This father-son Finding Nemo could have been satisfying for fans.
A wild goose chase for Marlin in the sea also would have brought more interactions with the other creatures from the first movie. Fans just wonder why it wasn't tentatively titled Finding Marlin.
Long-Lost Brother
Another critical piece of the plot is that Nemo would have discovered his long-lost twin brother, Remy. Nemo seems like the right kind of fish to have a twin by his side.
The new character would have been a great companion for Nemo and Marlin, and it would be fascinating to learn where the displaced fish has been all this time. And how much did Marlin know about him?
Dory Regains Her Memory
Finding Dory was a real treat for Nemo fans, so they will be glad to know that she still would have had a significant part in Finding Nemo 2.
The friendly fish who suffers from memory loss would have completely regained her memory in the abandoned sequel. Rumors state that Dory re everything by hitting her head somewhere. While that scene sounds a little predictable, it could have been funny, too.
Finished Script
All these story details must come from somewhere. As it turns out, the script for the sequel was completely finished. It was written by Laurie Craig, the writer behind Ella Enchanted and Ramona and Beezus.
Andrew Stanton's original story for Finding Dory does not appear to have recycled any of Laurie Craig's earlier script for Finding Nemo 2.
No Further Development
Either to fans' dismay or relief, the script is the only artifact that is believed to exist for Finding Nemo 2. There is no record of further development for the tale, so no storyboard or concept art that anyone knows of.
While it could have been fun to see what the animators were thinking, it would also be sad to see drawings for a piece of Nemo's life that won't ever be shared.
Circle 7 Animation
The reason that there aren't any stolen details from Finding Nemo 2 in Finding Dory is that the former sequel was in the works with a different animation branch.
Circle 7 Animation was once a part of Disney's animation studios and was supposed to work on several other projects, including different sequels for Monsters, Inc. and an original concept for Toy Story 3.
A Short-Lived Project
There were some tensions and disagreements between Pixar and Disney in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner could not agree on a contract renewal in 2004, so the partnership between Disney and Pixar looked like a closed chapter.
Michael Eisner ed that Disney owned the characters of previous collaborative films. He planned to have sequels made in the likeness of existing Pixar franchises, but without Pixar. This decision led to Eisner stepping down from his CEO role, but his plan was already in motion, and thus Circle 7 was born. Writers got to work on those sequels just in time for Bob Iger to become CEO and buy out Pixar in 2006. There ended Circle 7 and any movies that were in development there.
Pixaren't
Some naysayers of Circle 7 Animation were so bold to call the division "Pixaren't." The Circle 7 writers knew about the animosity and only let it motivate them even more. Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir, who worked on Circle 7's Toy Story 3, told Animated Views that Laurie Craig was working on Finding Nemo 2 "at the tail-end of the studio's existence."
Timewise, this means that she was writing the script in 2005. Theoretically, the Nemo sequel could have come out just a few years after the first 2003 film.
Entire Script Online
In a strange turn of events, someone ed the entire Finding Nemo 2 first draft onto the Internet. There is little explanation for it--just a 103-page script.
The title page date reads October 26, 2005. No one knows exactly who made the draft available, but fans might like to dive deeper into the story, beginning with the underwater grotto.
Movie Can't Ever Be Made
A logical conclusion is that if the script is already published online, it can't ever be turned into a movie someday. People already know what will happen. It is totally scrapped.
However, fans still love Nemo as much as they did when he first arrived.
