Disney Facts!

Facts 1531-1560: Finding Nemo Themed Page

Just keep swimming. 

'nough said. :)

Fact #1531 

Work on Finding Nemo began in 1997.

Fact #1532 

The animators studied dogs’ facial expressions and eyes to animate the fishes’ expressions.

Fact #1533 

Pixar remade the ocean surface because initially it was too realistic and thought audiences wouldn’t believe it was animated.

Fact #1534 

Finding Nemo was the first Pixar movie to take place outside the U.S. It took place in Australlia. 

Fact #1535 

Finding Nemo had the largest opening weekend for an animated film upon it’s release.

Fact #1536 

Following the popularity of the film, clownfish became in high demand.

Fact #1537 

Nemo is a reference to Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It also means ‘no one’ in Latin.

Fact #1538 

The mom’s death was originally meant to be revealed in flashbacks. Director Andrew Stanton decided Marlin came off overprotective and figured it best to start off with the back story to make the clownfish justified in his trepidations and therefore more appealing to audiences.

Fact #1539 

William H. Macy voiced Marlin prior to Albert Brooks. He recorded all of the dialogue prior to being replaced.

Fact #1540 

Co-writer Bob Peterson voiced Mr. Ray. Peterson also provided the voice for Dug in Up.

Fact #1541 

Bruce was named for the model shark used in Jaws, who was nicknamed after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer.

Fact #1542 

The dentist’s waiting room is modeled after an actual dentist’s office in Emeryville, CA, where Pixar Animation Studios is located.

Fact #1543 

Gil’s mouth was modeled to look like his voice actor, Willem Dafoe’s, mouth.

Fact #1544 

The tank gang never formally introduced germaphobic Gurgle. He is the only one never mentioned by name and was only later to be revealed called “Gurgle.”

Fact #1545 

To animate the jellyfish, Pixar created a new way of shading called “transblurrency.” See-through but blurred, like a frosted window. The jellyfish colony contains 74,472 jellies with upwards of 8,000 in any given shot.

Fact #1546 

200 turtles are in the background during the turtle drive. In the Blu-Ray/DVD commentary, the directors reveal that the turtles are ultimately headed to Hawaii and that their shell patterns mimic Hawaiian shirt designs.

Fact #1547 

The seagulls were modeled after the penguins from Wallace and Gromit.

Fact #1548 

Geoffrey Rush, the voice of Nigel, held his tongue out in order to sound like Nigel had his mouth full with Marlin and Dory.

Fact #1549 

Nigel’s line “Fish gotta swim, birds gotta eat,” references a lyric from the Broadway musical Show Boat.

Fact #1550 

In response to the film, several sewage treatment facilities released a warning cautioning children not to “free” their fish down the drain. Although drains lead to the ocean, all water is broken and treated within the plants, and would ground fish in the process.

Fact #1551 

Finding Nemo is the second Pixar movie to have the words “the end” appear in the final scene.

Fact #1552 

A sequel to the film, Finding Dory is COMING!!!!!

Fact #1553 

The role of Dory was written specifically for Ellen DeGeneres. Andrew Stanton cast Ellen after watching her TV show with his wife. She turned out to be perfect for the part because she would "change the subject five times before finishing one sentence."

Fact #1554 

Director Andrew Stanton went all out to pitch the idea and story for 'Finding Nemo' to Pixar boss John Lasseter. At the end of an intensive hour-long presentation -- including fancy visual aids plus character voices -- he asked Lasseter what he thought. The response -- "You had me at 'fish.'"

Fact #1555 

Anchor is a hammerhead shark and Bruce's sidekick. He's played by Australian actor Eric Bana -- who also played 'The Hulk' in the movie that came out the same year as 'Finding Nemo.'

Fact #1556 

The three tiki heads featured in the 'Finding Nemo' fish tank are based on three Pixar employees -- Peter Sohn, Nelson Bohol, and Ricky Nierva.

Fact #1557 

The sound effects for 'Finding Nemo' were created in a number of different ways by sound designer Gary Rydstrom. Sloshing water was recorded in a Jacuzzi, a fish tank, and the open ocean, a coastal cave provided water sounds for inside the whale, a finger flicking a hot water bottle made the sound of Marlin and Dory bouncing off jellyfish, and the dentist's drill was recorded when a sound design assistant actually needed her own tooth filled.

Fact #1558 

The two main sea turtles in 'Finding Nemo' -- Crush and Squirt -- are named after popular soda brands.

Fact #1559

Finding Nemo was the first movie to surpass 1994’s The Lion King to become the highest-grossing animated film. “It’s about time,” Lion King producer Don Hahn remarked at the feat.  

Fact #1560 

Squirt the sea turtle is voiced by Nicholas Bird, the son of Pixar director Brad Bird.

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I hope you all enjoyed these facts as much as I did!

And remember, "fish are friends, not food."