Pixar Animation’s latest original film, Hoppers (2026), feels like either a ray of hope or the last breath of an inspired era for the studio. Like all Disney subsidiaries these days, Pixar has found itself in an odd position as of late. For decades, Pixar movies were considered the gold standard of their medium, but in a post-Spider-Verse world, the studio seems to be having an identity crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, three of Pixar’s feature-length films, Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022), were released straight to streaming on Disney+. Though each of those movies received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, Pixar’s reputation has since been stained by an over-reliance on IP and nostalgia.
Inside Out 2 (2024) became Pixar’s highest-grossing film of all time with $1.699 billion, helping the studio recover from the disappointments of Lightyear (2022) and Elio (2025), two of their lowest-performing films ever. Additionally, it seems the wrong lessons are being drawn from Disney’s poor decision-making, as Pixar CCO Pete Docter announced last year that the studio would be moving away from the autobiographical storytelling that has made their projects relevant and toward “clear mass appeal.” Production drama around Elio came to light soon after, revealing that the movie’s original vision from Adrian Molina had been severely reworked from a story about a gay child’s search for belonging in space to a more generic sci-fi adventure.
Simply put, the timing of an original animated film like Hoppers is crucial.
Hoppers is Full of Non-Stop Surprises and Chaos
Directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears), Hoppers is a truly unhinged, genre-bending romp that simultaneously treads new ground while staying true to Pixar’s roots. At the center of the chaos is Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a rebellious, nature-loving teenage girl determined to save her local glade from destruction as Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) plans to build a massive highway for their suburban town of Beaverton. When Mabel discovers that her science professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), has a top-secret project — a high-tech device that can transfer a human’s consciousness into robot animals — she decides to “hop” into a robotic beaver and take matters into her own hands.
As Mabel infiltrates the local wildlife, she meets the pond leader, King George (Bobby Moynihan), and learns that the animal world is more complicated than she could have imagined. How the plot further unfolds is best left unspoiled, as Jesse Andrews (Luca) and Daniel Chong’s script takes many unprecedented twists and turns that almost feel irreverent for a Pixar film. Hoppers sits on the longer side for an animated feature at 105 mins, but thanks to its manic energy and fast pace, it’s a breezy watch. The element of surprise is one of its secret weapons; Hoppers consistently disarms viewers with its clever genre shifts and dense jokes-per-minute comedic timing.
Despite the mayhem, Chong’s feature debut has clear, intimate stakes and expertly balances all of its outlandish moments with a genuine emotional throughline.
A Refreshingly Nuanced “Talking Animal” Film
Hoppers stands out amongst the pack of talking-animal environmentalism narratives as it’s less a movie about individuals saving the world and more concerned with taking care of your backyard. It stresses that conservation is a collective effort and re-centers animals as equal inhabitants. Stylistically, the film is a huge departure from the hyperrealism that has defined the “Pixar look,” focusing much more on the interpretive quality of nature rather than a literal one. Every animal design in Hoppers is full of texture, from the creatures’ felt-like fur and their squishy roundness to the painterly aesthetic of the woodlands. It’s not just cute, it’s functional — giving the audience a sense of the beauty that can be lost to urbanization.
Whereas most children’s movies deal in strict black-and-white moral lines, Hoppers is refreshingly nuanced. Jon Hamm’s Mayor Jerry exemplifies this, as his performance perfectly jabs at the short-sightedness of a bottom-line-minded politician. Yet, as the story’s antagonist (for the majority of the film), he is far from a cartoonishly evil caricature. Mabel, on the other hand, possesses a deep love for nature and conservation. However, her reckless and impulsive desires constantly lead her to self-sabotage. Piper Curda imbues Mabel with a strong sense of spunk and attitude, which sets her apart from the average animated heroine.
Capturing the Spirit of Pixar’s Golden Days
The true beating heart of the movie is Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as King George, the beaver king of the mammals. His unconditional kindness and loyalty wonderfully balance out Mabel’s brashness, but his optimism is unwavering to an almost foolish degree. His philosophy bleeds into the central thesis, as if the film knows that its stance on togetherness and kindness might be a fantasy. Wouldn’t it be great if we tried anyway, though? The pure earnestness on display feels commendable in a time defined by cynicism, and since it’s so zany and entertaining, Hoppers never comes off as preachy or over-the-top. Compared to the watered-down emotions Elio evoked, the artistic vision here feels fully-realized and complete.
Hoppers is unlike anything Pixar has ever made. Yet, it totally captures the spirit of the kinds of stories the studio was known for in its golden days. It boasts an emotional truth and maturity that complement the spectacle and adventure, making it enjoyable for adults and children in equal measure. Daniel Chong’s creative voice shines through the film’s unique visual style and through its contemporary, comedically forward tone. It is by far the most well-crafted and authentic Pixar movie since the likes of Soul, Luca, and Turning Red.
A Hopeful Sign For Original Animation
The great irony, however, is that Hoppers is exactly the kind of story that Disney-Pixar has recently deemed a low priority. It’s a shame that this one animated movie’s box office performance has been placed in such an urgent position. But I deeply hope that its potential success will send a message to the studio that there is still a hunger for the kinds of Pixar films that Disney once deemed doomed to fail, and that there is deep value in platforming fresh voices instead of purely mining nostalgia. With Toy Story 5 releasing later this year and Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 already in development, let’s make bold, original stories like Hoppers a necessity rather than a rarity.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Pixar’s Hoppers hits theaters on March 6!
Release Date: March 6, 2026.
Directed by Daniel Chong.
Screenplay by Jesse Andrews.
Story by Daniel Chong.
Produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle.
Executive Producers: Pete Docter, Kiri Hart, & Peter Sohn.
Main Cast: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eman Abdul-Razzak, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Tom Law, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villaseñor, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Steve Purcell, Ego Nwodim, Nichole Sakura, Meryl Streep, Karen Huie, Vanessa Bayer, Demetri Martin, Joe Spano, Eric Edelstein, & Lila Liu.
Cinematographers: Jeremy Lasky & Ian Megibben.
Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh.
Editor: Axel Geddes.
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Runtime: 105 minutes.
Rated PG.
