Pixarhas thrilled with new and inventive feature films for the better part of 30 years, but the recently-announcedHoppersmight be their most imaginative product yet. Putting a clever spin on the classic body swap concept,Hopperswill follow young Mabel (Piper Curda) who switches brains with a beaver as she tries to protect the local environment. Many details about the thoughtful new animated film were revealed at Disney’s D23 fan expo in August 2024, and it proves that the sequel-obsessed studio still has a few new ideas up their sleeves.
Though details remain elusive, it is a good sign that Pixar might be turning a corner into a new creative direction. Most ofthe upcoming Pixar moviesare sequels likeToy Story 5andThe Incredibles 3, and it appeared as if the studio that was known for pushing boundaries was getting complacent. However, what is known aboutHopperssuggests that the animation studio is back to finding the perfect balance with emotional storytelling that actually means something. Even if it is wrapped in a silly body-swapping package,Hopperscould still pack a real punch with its message of environmentalism.
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Pixar’s Hoppers Latest News
A Release Date Is Announced
Just days after the movie was announced at Disney’s 2024 D23 fan expo event, the latest news confirms the release date forHoppers. According toDeadline,Pixar has officially narrowed the film’s release from spring 2026 to the more concrete date ofMarch 6, 2026. It’s unclear if that date will hold considering it is in direct competition with theCat in the Hatmovie starring Bill Hader. However, since Disney/Pixar often dominate the box office, it could be thatCat in the Hatis the one that changes its release date.
Pixar’s Hoppers Release Date
The Pixar Movie Arrives In 2026
This is a stark departure from the rest of Pixar’s slate, which is comprised almost exclusively of sequels to hits likeToy StoryandThe Incredibles.
Amid Disney and Pixar’s massive slate of announced projects at 2024’s D23 fan expo, the studio confirmed that an original movie,Hoppers, is in the works. This is a stark departure from the rest of Pixar’s slate, which is comprised almost exclusively of sequels to hits likeToy StoryandThe Incredibles. Even though the project is still shrouded in mystery, a release date has already been provided andHoppersis scheduled to premiere on August 04, 2025. Pixar provided some preliminary concept art from the movie, whichScreen Rantrevealed via social media.
Pixar’s Hoppers Cast Details
Jon Hamm & Bobby Moynihan Will Voice Characters
Along with the announcement of the movie itself, a few of the cast members fromHoppershave already been revealed. Leading the cast as young Mabel, a girl who swaps bodies with a mechanical beaver, Piper Curda (I Didn’t Do It) will return to the Disney fold afterA.N.T. FarmandTeen Beach 2.Mad Men’s Jon Hamm is set to voice the role of the Mayorwho is willing to destroy the native habitats to get what he wants. Meanwhile,SNLalum Bobby Moynihan will play the role of King George, the regal leader of the beavers.
Presumably, there will be a heap of other stars joining the cast soon, and Pixar is known for being able to pull in A-list talent for their voice roles. There will also likely be a few familiar voices that appear across the Pixar filmography, though predicting who those will be is almost impossible at this early juncture.
Pixar’s Hoppers Story Details
A Body-Swapping Mechanical Beaver
The best Pixar moviesare known for imaginative storytelling, andHoppersis already shaping up to be the most clever premise from the studio in ages.The story will follow young Mabel, a concerned environmentalist who swaps bodies into a mechanical beaverin order to commune with the local nature without being obtrusive. While undercover, Mabel befriends the beaver population andhelps them to defend their territory from a greedy land developerwho wants to destroy their habitat.
the mechanical beaver concept opens the door for all sorts of technological twists, something Pixar hasn’t really explored yet.
Though this is only the basic framework of the story,Hoppershas a lot to build on with its characters and messaging. It’s already known thatSNLalum Bobby Moynihan will voice the role of King George, the leader of a beaver group, and this suggests there will be an entire beaver hierarchy to explore in the movie. Likewise, the mechanical beaver concept opens the door for all sorts of technological twists, something Pixar hasn’t really explored yet.
Hoppers
Cast
Hoppers follows animal lover Mabel as she employs groundbreaking technology to transfer human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals. Her aim is to communicate with beavers, leading to the discovery of unexpected mysteries within the animal world.
