Let's see how the small market of fans eager for a "John Carter" sequel are going to take this. Following a tumultuous production, a botched marketing campaign in what turned out to be one of the biggest flops of the year, costing Disney $200 million, we figured it would be interesting to see where Andrew Stanton landed next. Well, the open arms of his longtime home Pixar are welcoming him back to direct a sequel to one of their biggest movies.
Continuing their decline from the house of original stories to franchise churrner, Pixar is gearing up "Finding Nemo 2" and Stanton will be back to guide the follow-up to the 2nd most successful movie in the studio's history. Of course, any further details are under wraps, but this is just the beginning of the renewed money train for "Finding Nemo." On September 14th, the movie will be back in theaters in a 3D re-release, but if you think Stanton is returning to this movie just for the love of it, you'd be mistaken. While parent company Disney loves his concept, Deadline suggests he's doing this gig so he can get another shot making a live-action movie (though nothing is guaranteed yet). A classic one for them, one for me move.
And it's a movie Disney has been eager to make a sequel to for a long time. Way back in 2008, Michael Eisner threatened to use the shortlived Circle 7 Animation division to make sequels to Disney-owned Pixar films, and a story which had Nemo (Alexander Gould) finding Marlin (Albert Brooks) was apparently the direction they were headed, with Laurie Craig ("Ella Enchanted") to write the script. But it never came to pass.
So will "Finding Nemo" be the key to reviving "John Carter: The God Of Mars"? Will Disney ever forgive a $200 million goof? Do we really need a "Finding Nemo" sequel? Probably not, but the merchandising is gonna be off the chain.