After a string of originals that struggled to connect with audiences at the box office, Pixar is heading into this weekend with something it hasn’t had in a long time: genuine momentum. Hoppers, directed by Daniel Chong of We Bare Bears fame, opens in theaters this Friday, and by nearly every early measure, it looks like the studio’s best shot at reclaiming the kind of cultural electricity it once generated routinely.
The premise is the kind of oddball concept that either works completely or falls apart at the seams. Mabel Tanaka, a 19-year-old college student and passionate animal lover voiced by Piper Curda, ends up transferring her consciousness into a robotic beaver through a cutting-edge scientific program called Hoppers. Once inside the animal world, she uncovers a hidden society of creatures led by a beaver named King George, voiced by Bobby Moynihan, and finds herself in the middle of a brewing conflict when a local developer’s highway plans threaten to destroy their habitat. Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep round out a cast that early viewers have praised as one of the film’s genuine strengths.
The critical reception has been remarkable. Hoppers is sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, which ties it with Coco for the studio’s best-reviewed film since 2017. Reviewers have consistently highlighted the film’s comic irreverence as the thing that sets it apart from recent Pixar output. Screen Rant called it one of the studio’s best in recent years, noting that Chong’s direction is “lively, fast-paced” and that the film trusts its young audience to engage with real themes, specifically climate change, without being talked down to. A few critics have flagged a slightly aimless second act and some jokes that miss their mark, and there are dissenting voices noting that the film’s ambitions occasionally outrun its execution. But the overwhelming consensus positions Hoppers as a confident, funny, and emotionally grounded film that represents a clear creative step forward.
Fans who have seen early screenings have been vocal online. Many have drawn comparisons to Soul and even Coco, calling Mabel one of the most memorable Pixar protagonists in years. A recurring joke involving animals communicating through emojis has been singled out repeatedly as a highlight, with some viewers describing it as the funniest running bit the studio has produced in years. The film’s animation style has also drawn attention, with its vibrant colors and inventive character designs generating strong enthusiasm. Not everyone is fully on board; some have noted the environmental messaging could have been woven in more subtly, a criticism that echoes past reactions to WALL-E. But the general mood among early audiences is one of real excitement, with many characterizing the film as proof that Pixar’s creative engine is running well again.
The box office picture is genuinely interesting. Projections have shifted upward as positive word has spread. Deadline is forecasting an $88 million global opening weekend across 41 markets, which would make it the best worldwide debut for a Pixar original since Coco nearly a decade ago. Domestically, estimates sit in the $36 million to $38 million range across 4,000 theaters, with an additional $45 to $50 million expected from international markets. Box Office Pro has been even more bullish at certain points in the tracking cycle, projecting a domestic opening as high as $50 to $60 million. Presales have already cleared $3 million, a figure comparable to the openings of DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot and Dog Man, both of which debuted in the mid-$30 million range. A four-minute preview clip posted to Disney+ became the most-watched title on the platform in the United States before the film had even opened, a notable indicator of public appetite.
Context matters here. Last summer’s Elio earned just $20.8 million domestically in its opening weekend, a new low for the studio in theatrical exclusives. Pixar has leaned heavily on sequels in recent years, and for good reason: original films have consistently underperformed relative to franchise entries. Inside Out 2 earned nearly $1.7 billion globally and briefly became the highest-grossing animated film in history. Hoppers is not expected to approach those numbers, but a $40-plus million domestic opening would represent a meaningful proof of concept that original Pixar storytelling can still draw audiences to theaters.
The release date is also a deliberate choice. Hoppers opens in early March, only the second time Pixar has released a film in the first quarter, following Onward in 2020. The family film landscape is relatively open right now, with The Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie not arriving until early April. This weekend it will share the marketplace with The Bride!, which is targeting a different audience, giving Hoppers a fairly clear lane.
Director Daniel Chong, who spent years developing the film after returning to Pixar in late 2020, has been traveling internationally with the cast to support the release, with premieres in Italy and the UK joining the Hollywood premiere at the El Capitan Theatre last week. The score was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh in his first feature-length work for Pixar, and the film closes with an original song called “Save the Day” written and performed by SZA.
Whether Hoppers can translate its critical goodwill and genuine fan buzz into the kind of sustained box office run that Pixar needs from its original films remains to be seen. But arriving with a near-perfect critics score, an enthusiastic early audience, and a concept weird enough to be genuinely memorable, the studio goes into this weekend with more confidence than it has had in quite some time.
