Ed O’Neill Voices A New ‘Finding Dory’ Character [D23 Expo 2015]
Andrew Stanton’sFinding NemosequelFinding Dorywas heavily teased on the D23 Expo show floor, and at Friday’s big animation presentation Stanton revealed some of the thinking behind the film, and offered some new footage to the crowd. Basically, his core questions were about Dory and her family. Could she find her way home if she was lost again? Who makes up her family?
In addition to talking up some of those ideas, the presentation revealed a new character: an octopus, voiced byEd O’Neill. See an image of that newcomer and learn more below.
FINDING DORY concept art
The story begins with Dory living with Marlin and Nemo on their reef. But a minor trauma triggers a memory she can’t quite pin down. It’s something important… she doesn’t quite know what. Something about feeding time? No… oh wait, it was about churros! No, that’s not it either. We realize Dory is having a nightmare. “Don’t cry, Lilly,” she says in her sleep. We see that Dory is sleep-swimming, saying something about Monterey, California.
The next day, she remembers something. Nemo thinks her instincts are trying to get her to go home, to migrate, something he learned in school. Dory has a vision of her parents, realizes they don’t know where she is. While Marlin thinks going all the way to Monterey is a bad idea, Dory appeals to his sense of familial responsibility. Wouldn’t he know what it is like to feel fear about the safety of a family member?
The clip shown at D23 ends with Nemo pleading to his father, “dad you can get us all the way across the ocean, right?” Marlin responds, “No… but I know a guy.”
Once the characters get to Monterey Marine Life Institute, we’ll meet a whole new cast of characters. One is Hank, an octopus who helps Dory in some way, voiced by Ed O’Neill. This is Hank:
There’s also Bailey, a white beluga whale, voiced byTy Burrell, and Destiny, a somewhat confused whale shark who thinks she’s a whale but is really a shark, voiced byKaitlin Olson. Bailey and Destiny are neighbors, and they have an adversarial sibling-like relationship
In one final clip from the film, Dory is accidentally scooped up by institute staffers, and meets Hank for the first time. She’s tagged by the staff, and Hank, using his camouflage, is able to get near Dory to explain that she has been tagged to be transported to an aquarium in Cleveland. Hank offers to take her tag, allowing him to take her place on the transport truck. He’s not eager to be released back into the ocean, and Dory’s short-term memory failings lead to some comedy in the scene.
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Producer Lindsey Collins and directors Angus MacLane and Andrew Stanton of FINDING DORY took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Lindsey Collins; Angus MacLane; Andrew Stanton
Albert Brooksreturns as Marlin.Willem Dafoewill be reprisinghis role as Gill, the scared Moorish Idol who previously lived in an Australian dentist office. Dory’s parents Charlie and Jenny will be voiced byEugene LevyandDiane Keaton.The Wireco-starsDominic WestandIdris Elbaare alsopart of the voice cast.
Stanton has said Dory’s familymight be bigger than we expected, with an accompanying concept shot of a creature that looked like a whale. So there’s speculation that we’ll get an explanation for Dory speaking Whale inFinding Nemo.
You can watch a videoof Ellen announcing the sequel on her television show in 2013. The movie will also soonbecome a rideat Tokyo Disney.
Finding Dorywill hit theaters on August 16, 2025. Here’s the official line on the movie:
