Will Dory Fantasmagory Receive A Live-Action Or Anime Adaptation?

If I had to bet a coffee on it, I’d say animation first, live-action second. 'Dory Fantasmagory' is visually quirky and relies on the elastic logic of a child’s imagination, which animation handles naturally. A live-action adaptation would need clever effects and likely a hybrid approach—practical props, puppets, or CGI companions—to keep the charm without feeling off.

Short-form episodes or an anthology-style series could capture the book’s vignette feel nicely, and streaming platforms love short seasons for family content. That said, indie filmmakers might try a festival short or a creative live-action take to stand out. Personally I hope they keep the whimsy and don’t over-sanitize Dory’s oddball energy; that’s the whole point and would make me genuinely happy to watch it with my kid or on my own.

There’s something infectious about picturing Dory bursting off the page, and honestly, I haven’t heard a confirmed plan for a live-action or anime adaptation of 'Dory Fantasmagory'. From where I sit, the book’s structure—short chapters, strong central voice, and vivid imaginative leaps—makes it ideal for episodic treatment, whether as a children's live-action series or an anime. If a studio wanted a family-friendly live-action show, they'd likely cast a charismatic kid and use practical effects mixed with CGI for the fantasy beats; networks and streamers love that mix because it reads well to both kids and nostalgic adults.

If an anime house picked it up, I imagine episodes leaning into visual metaphor and playful scene transitions, with stylized character designs to portray Dory’s inner world. The big practical question is rights and author involvement: Abby Hanlon’s tone and humor are specific, and any adaptation would need her blessing to land properly. For fans, the best path is one that preserves Dory’s voice and the book’s gentle chaos. Personally, I’d be thrilled to see either version—I’m just hoping whoever adapts it keeps the heart first and the spectacle second.

I’m the kind of person who daydreams about how books become shows, and with 'Dory Fantasmagory' I keep toggling between two visions: a cozy live-action series that uses real sets and clever practical effects to ground Dory’s imagination, or a vibrant anime that can push the visuals into outright surreal territory. No big studio headlines have rolled across my feed announcing either route, so for now it’s a matter of likelihood and fit. Live-action could make family moments feel tangible and warm, while anime would let artists play with scale, color, and shifting reality in ways live-action might struggle to match. Whichever happens, I hope the adaptation honors Dory’s voice—her bravado, her tender moments, and that delightful blend of reality and fantasy that made me smile when I first read it.

I get giddy imagining how 'Dory Fantasmagory' could translate to the screen, and I’ll be honest: I haven’t seen any official announcement that she’s getting a live-action or anime adaptation, at least nothing widely publicized. That said, the book’s DNA practically screams adaptation—it's equal parts charming domestic family life and wild, child-sized fantasy sequences. For a live-action take, I picture a warm, tactile production with practical sets for the real-world scenes and bold VFX or puppetry for Dory’s flights of fancy, leaning into the same cozy-yet-surreal vibe you get in 'Matilda' or the fantastical bits of 'Where the Wild Things Are'. A director who loves childhood perspective could make the ordinary feel huge and strange, which is Dory’s whole world.

On the flip side, an anime adaptation could lean into pure visual imagination. Studios excel at shifting art styles to show a kid’s inner life, and anime could exaggerate shapes, colors, and timing to match Dory’s logic—think whimsical transformations and expressive design that aren’t bound by live-action constraints. Streaming platforms have been hungry for family-friendly IP, so either route could happen if the right creative team and rights holders align. Personally, I’d be thrilled either way, but I’d slightly prefer anime for its freedom to go full-tilt on surreal visuals while keeping the emotional core intact.

Wow—'Dory Fantasmagory' feels tailor-made for animation more than anything else. The book's surreal, imaginative chaos, and the way Dory's imaginary world bleeds into everyday life screams for expressive visuals that move and bend reality. I can totally picture a vibrant, slightly wonky 2D or 2.5D animated series that leans into hand-drawn textures or even stop-motion-inspired CGI to keep that tactile picture-book charm. Producers adapting children's books lately tend to either go fully animated (so they can preserve the art style) or do a live-action/CGI hybrid if they want to appeal to both kids and nostalgic adults — look at how 'Where the Wild Things Are' and 'Paddington' handled tone differently.

If a studio wanted to do live-action, they'd probably have to make Dory's monstrous imaginary friends CGI or puppets, and the movie would tilt toward family comedy with a heartfelt message about growing up. Streaming platforms love recognizable IP with family-friendly hooks, so a short-form animated series on a platform like that makes more commercial sense. Personally, I’d root for a show that keeps the book’s weirdness intact — the kind of adaptation that makes little kids giggle and adults smile at the clever bits. Either way, I’d pick up a ticket or hit play pretty fast, because Dory’s world is too fun to stay on the page forever.

There’s a decent chance 'Dory Fantasmagory' gets adapted, but the form it takes will depend on market logic and creative vision. From an industry perspective, the safest bet is an animated series: children’s publishers and streamers have been trampling the middle ground between picture books and TV because animation preserves illustrative styles and is scalable. Animation allows for the exaggerated expressions and surreal sequences that define Dory without the uncanny valley issues live-action would face when rendering fantastical creatures.

A live-action feature could work but likely as a hybrid project—real sets for Dory’s mundane world, with whimsical CGI or practical puppetry for her imagined monsters. That route is pricier and riskier, which might put big studios off unless there’s clear brand potential. International studios could also adapt it into a short anime-style series, though that requires licensing interest and a tonal match. My take is that a short animated run on a streaming service, maybe eight to ten episodes, would be the fastest and most faithful route to bringing Dory’s mischief to screens, and I'd be excited to see how different creative teams interpret her vivid imagination.