Pixar’s Finding Dory is set to debut this weekend, and is expected to revive the less than boisterous start of the summer box office.
The much anticipated sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo is predicted to debut with as much as $120 million domestically. If it accomplishes this goal, Dory will become the biggest opening ever for Pixar, besting Toy Story 3’s $110 million in 2010. Currently, DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek The Third holds the top animated opening of all time with $121.6 million in 2007.
The studio is estimating a more conservative debut, with an amount of roughly $100 million or more.
Finding Nemo, released 13 years ago, was a blockbuster phenomenon – opening with $70 million and ending its domestic weekend with $339 million. In the original, a clownfish sets out on a journey to find his son who is captured in the Great Barrier Reef – with voices borrowed from Albert Brooks (voiced Marlin), Alexander Gould (voiced Nemo) and Ellen DeGeneres (voiced Dory).
The animated sequel focuses on Dory, the lovable sidekick who suffers from short-term memory loss. Taking place six months after the events of the first film, Dory has flashbacks of being separated from her parents as a child, thus sending her – and her friends, Marlon and Nemo – off on a quest across the ocean to find them.
In addition to the returning cast members (Brooks and Degeneres), the film co-stars the voices of Ed O’Niel, Idris Elba, Diane Keaton, Sigourney Weaver and Hayden Rolence as the character Nemo. Andrew Stanton returned to direct the sequel, alongside co-director Angus MacLane.
The weekend’s other new wide release includes Warner Bros.’ action-comedy Central Intelligence, which is expected to premiere with $30 million domestically. The film stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson.
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