From a Pair of Seasoned Sea Lions to a Wacky Loon - Take a Look at New Characters From 'Finding Dory'

Otter babies from 'Finding Dory' - Photo © Pixar

As we have been 'diving' into worlds and background story of Finding Dory, learning about the technical advancements for the film (as well as the inspiration that made Pixar go back to the sea), we were left wondering about the bevy of new characters we have yet to meet. In a recent interview with USA Today, director Andrew Stanton describes the endless possibilities the team had in creating new characters for the film; "The ocean is teeming with literally millions of species. People don’t want to feel like they just spent the movie in a pond," says Stanton. "There are just certain species of animals or fish that are fun to watch in real life and you can’t help but to throw a character on them. If they can find a home in Dory’s story, great. It’s a win-win."

In previous released trailers/teasers for the film we have met Dory's parents, Charlie and Jenny (voiced by Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton); a beluga whale named Bailey (Ty Burrell); a whale shark called Destiny (Kaitlin Olson); and the curmudgeonly septopus Hank (Ed O'Neill). Today we can now add more characters to this growing list, including a pair of seasoned sea lions that live within the Marine Life Institute voiced by veteran actors Idris Elba and Dominic West.

"Idris and Dominic are well-trained, dramatic Shakespearean actors, but they can do comedy like nobody’s business," says Stanton. "They just ran with it. They played jolly and lazy really well. "But the truth is, I really wanted to witness a Wire reunion," he adds. "So we got them together."

Sea Lions Rudder (left, voiced by Dominic West) and Fluke (right, Idris Elba) Photo © Pixar

Becky the Loon - Photo © Pixar

In Finding Nemo the minimalist goofy seagulls made us laugh with their brilliant character design, comedic timing and signature one-liner, "Mine!" (voiced by director Andrew Stanton). As we venture in Finding Dory we will be introduced to another wacky feathered friend, with Becky the loon (named after Production Manager, Becky Neiman Cobb) taking on the comedic bird role,"Loons are the seagulls of this movie,"says Stanton.

Venturing through the Marine Life Institute the Finding Dory team set their sights on creating sea the lovable otters (pictured above). While Stanton notes that sea otters are truly "quite vicious", the team decided to utilize the characters with a cuter sensibility - reminding us of the various pets that are perched on Forest Woodbush in The Good Dinosaur.

What are your thoughts on the newly released characters? Be sure to share your thoughts on the newly released characters with other fans in the Pixar Post Forum or leave a comment below.

Related Posts
- The Reef, Kelp Forest & Marine Life Institute - Exploring The Worlds of 'Finding Dory'
- New 'Finding Dory' Trailer - A Glimpse at Dory's Parents and Explore Inside The Marine Life Institute
- 'Finding Dory' - Updated Official Synopsis

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