In July 2012, it was reported buy Hollywood Reporter that Andrew Stanton is developing a sequel to Finding Nemo, with Victoria Strouse writing the script and a schedule to be released in 2016. The same day the news of a potential sequel broke, Stanton posted a message on his personal Twitter calling into question the accuracy of these reports. The message said, “Didn’t you all learn from Chicken Little? Everyone calm down. Don’t believe everything you read. Nothing to see here now. #skyisnotfalling”

However, according to the report by Hollywood Reporter published in August 2012, Ellen DeGeneres is in negotiations to reprise her role of Dory. In September 2012, the sequel was confirmed by Stanton, saying: “What was immediately on the list was writing a second [John] Carter movie. When that went away, everything slid up. I know I’ll be accused by more sarcastic people that it’s a reaction to Carter not doing well, but only in its timing, but not in its conceit.”

Finding Nemo was the first Pixar film not to be scored by Randy Newman. The music was written and composed by Thomas Newman (coincidentally, his cousin).

Ellen DeGeneres was cast as Dory in Finding Nemo after director Andrew Stanton watched an episode of her talk show with his wife and saw Ellen “change the subject five times before finishing one sentence” as Stanton recalled.

Up received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, making it the second animated film in history to receive this nomination, following Beauty and the Beast (1991).

If Carl’s house in Up was approximately 1600 square feet, and the average house weighs between 60-100 pounds per square foot, it weighs 120,000 pounds. If the average helium balloon can carry .009 pounds (or 4.63 grams), it would take 12,658,392 balloons to lift his house off the ground. (20,622 balloons appear on the house when it first lifts off.)   

Carl Fredricksen’s face and gruff personality in Up are based on those of Spencer Tracy and Walter Matthau.   

Up is the film debut of Jordan Nagai, who voices Russell. Originally, his older brother Hunter was auditioning for the part, and Jordan simply came along with him. About 400 children had showed up for the auditions, but Jordan stood out because he would not stop talking. Director Pete Docter (pictured above with Jordan) said that “as soon as Jordan’s voice came on we started smiling because he is appealing and innocent and cute and different from what I was initially thinking.”

I never did notice that! That’s so cool. I love it when they throw things in like that!

That’s awesome trivia! Thanks for sharing it!

In the scene in The Incredibles where Helen (Elastagirl) is flying the plane, her use of radio protocol is exceptionally accurate for a movie. The terminology used hints that she has had military flight training. In the director’s commentary Brad Bird says that actress Holly Hunter insisted on learning both the lingo and its meaning.

• “VFR on top” means she is flying in the regime of Visual Flight Rules ‘on top’ of a cloud cover.
• She requests “vectors to the initial”, or directions on how to get to the initial landing approach.
• “Angels 10” is her altitude call, ten thousand feet. This is a military term. Civilian flights use the term “flight level”.
• “Track east” is her direction of travel.
• “Buddy spike(d)” is a US military brevity code meaning “friendly anti-aircraft radar has locked on to me, (please don’t shoot)”.
• “Transmitting in the Blind Guard” is a call on the emergency frequency where 2-way communication has not been established.
• “Abort” is also a military brevity code, a directive meaning “stop the action/mission/attack”.