Fifteen years ago yesterday, Finding Nemo swam into theaters.
The Pixar project, written and directed by Andrew Stanton, went on to become an instant phenomenon, earning $940.3 million worldwide on a reported $94 million budget. To date, Finding Nemo remains the best-selling DVD title of all time, and it inspired attractions at Disney theme parks around the world. It didn't hurt that the movie featured an all-star voice cast: Eric Bana as Anchor, Nicholas Bird as Squirt, Albert Brooks as Marlin, Willem Dafoe as Gill, Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, LuLu Ebeling as Darla, Brad Garrett as Bloat, Alexander Gould as Nemo, Barry Humphries as Bruce, Allison Janney as Peach, Vicki Lewis as Deb/Flo, Austin Pendleton as Gurgle, Elizabeth Perkins as Coral, Bob Peterson as Mr. Ray, Joe Ranft as Jacques, Stephen Root as Bubbles, Geoffrey Rush as Nigel, Bruce Spence as Chum and Stanton as Crush.
Fans clamored for a sequel—and in 2016, Finding Dory was released.
In celebration of the first film's 15th anniversary, E! News rounded up 15 fun facts:
Disney/Pixar
Mr. Ray's class swims through swims through 12,996 corals, which were individually animated.
Disney/Pixar
William H. Macy originally voiced Marlin, even though Albert Brooks was Andrew Stanton's first choice. But, after an early screening, Brooks was brought in to replace Macy.
Disney/Pixar
Bruce has 202 teeth, each of which can be animated individually.
Article continues below
Disney/Pixar
Megan Mullaly was fired after she refused to use her "Karen Walker voice" from Will & Grace. "I said, 'Now, wait a minute: You're telling me you want this fish who lives in a fish tank in a dentist's office to be a fictitious character from an NBC sitcom?'" she told a New York radio station. "I mean, it just doesn't make any sense to me."
Disney/Pixar
Look closely and you'll find Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear on the floor in the dentist's office.
Disney/Pixar
Out of the Tank Gang, Bubbles has the least amount of dialogue.
Article continues below
Disney/Pixar
Pixar's in-house art team was required to take courses and audit lectures in ichthyology, marine biology and oceanography to make the film more lifelike. The artists were also required to enroll in scuba diving classes.
Disney/Pixar
For the jellyfish scene, Pixar's Ocean Unit created a new shading system: "transblurrency."
Disney/Pixar
Two of the turtles are named after citrus soda brands: Crush and Squirt.
Article continues below
Disney/Pixar
This is the first Pixar film not composed by Randy Newman. His cousin, Thomas Newman, scored the soundtrack.
Disney/Pixar
This is the first Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. A Bug's Life, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were released before the category was added to the ceremony, and Monsters, Inc. lost to Shrek.
Disney/Pixar
Nemo's name is a nod to Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Article continues below
Disney/Pixar
One of the boats in Sydney Harbor is named "For the Birds," a reference to the Pixar short of the same name.
Disney/Pixar
A boy in the dentist's office reads a Mr. Incredible comic book, foreshadowing The Incredibles.
Disney/Pixar
This is the first Pixar movie to have a post-credits scene.
Article continues below
Don't miss E! News every Tuesday to Saturday at 6pm.
We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies. For more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our Cookie Policy.
