Ellen DeGeneres Returns as Dory in New Pixar Short

Ellen DeGeneres will reprise her role as the forgetful blue tang fish Dory in a new animated short film set in Pixar's Finding Nemo universe, with production now underway at the studio.

The project, which marks DeGeneres' return to the franchise after voicing the character in the 2003 original and its 2016 sequel, keeps plot details closely guarded. No release date has been announced, and it remains unclear which other characters or voice actors will appear, or who is leading the creative team. Pixar has a tradition of pairing shorts with feature films in theaters, suggesting this one could accompany an upcoming release.

Finding Nemo, directed by Andrew Stanton, follows overprotective clownfish Marlin, voiced by Albert Brooks, as he searches for his son Nemo, voiced by Alexander Gould, with help from the amnesiac Dory, voiced by DeGeneres. The film, released in 2003, grossed more than $940 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its sequel, Finding Dory, shifted focus to Dory's quest to reunite with her parents, voiced by Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy. That 2016 release earned over $1 billion globally and received strong critical acclaim.