Posted in: Disney, Movies, Pixar | Tagged: hoppers, toy story 5

Hoppers Director: Pixar Is Still Investing Very Hard In Original Film

With Toy Story 5 right around the corner, Hoppers director Daniel Chong says that he thinks "Pixar is still investing very hard in original film."

The future of Pixar seemed a bit bleak not that long ago. The studio announced that it would be focusing on movies with mass appeal, meaning sequels and established IP. This announcement came at the end of 2024, following the studio's struggles in the wake of the pandemic. Setting aside the fact that Lightyear disproved this idea right out of the gate, the box office seemed to be reinforcing that this would be the right move. Elemental was a slow burn that eventually did well, but Elio absolutely bombed at the box office. Inside Out 2, on the other hand, absolutely dominated the box office, and there's a very good chance that Toy Story 5 will do the same later this year. So audiences seemed to agree that sequels and established IP were the way to go. There were some original stories already in development at Pixar when this decision came down, including Gatto, set to come out next year, and Hoppers, which will be released next month, but they seem to be the exception, not the rule.

While things feel a bit dire from the outside looking in, those who are working at Pixar seem a bit more optimistic about the future of original storytelling at the studio. Hoppers director Daniel Chong, who worked for the studio in the 2010s and returned in 2019, told GamesRadar+ that he believes that the studio is still committed to original stories and that everyone involved understands you can't survive on sequels alone.

"I think Pixar is still doing a great job of being able to do sequels, which I think people want, and I think that's a thing that is a great thing to exist," he says. "I remember as a kid, always wanting sequels of things and wanting more. Working on a TV show [We Bare Bears], I get it, you want these characters to live on, and you want to see new adventures with them. But I do think Pixar is still investing very hard in original film. They understand that you can't keep making sequels. Originals have to exist. So, I do feel like they're one of the few studios that are really going hard on making more originals, and I'm excited to see what the future for Pixar brings."

While faith in the studio seems like a good thing, there is no denying that Pixar has had a rough couple of years. They have struggled coming out of the pandemic, with not only three of its theatrical releases (Soul, Luca, Turning Red) being shifted to streaming due to the pandemic, but the release right before the pandemic (Onward) was also impacted. Lightyear misstepping as hard as it did really didn't help. Hoppers is a weird little movie that has a lot of pressure on it to do well because no matter how much everyone might say Pixar believes in original storytelling, if Hoppers bombs and Toy Story 5 is a massive hit, from a pure numbers angle, you really can't argue with the new creative direction, even if it is soul-crushing.

Hoppers: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Hoppers is the new animated comedy adventure that introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to 'hop' her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. Using the technology, Mabel uncovers mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.

Hoppers features the voice of Bobby Moynihan as King George, an undeniably optimistic, kind and larger-than-life beaver who is the leader of the pond and king of the mammals. Jon Hamm voices Mayor Jerry, a politician running for reelection in Beaverton. Under his shiny, perfectly coiffed hair and matching public persona, Jerry is losing his cool over the one thing he can't control: Mabel.

Hoppers also features the voices of Meryl Streep (Insect Queen), Dave Franco (Titus), Kathy Najimy (Dr. Sam), Eduardo Franco (Loaf), Melissa Villaseñor (Ellen), Ego Nwodim (Fish Queen), Vanessa Bayer (Diane), Sam Richardson (Conner), Aparna Nancherla (Nisha), Nichole Sakura (Reptile Queens), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Bird King), Steve Purcell (Amphibian King), Karen Huie (Grandma Tanaka) and Tom Law (Tom Lizard), along with previously announced voice cast members Piper Curda (Mabel), Bobby Moynihan (KingGeorge) and Jon Hamm (Mayor Jerry).

Hoppers is directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears), produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle (Incredibles 2), and features an original score by composer Mark Mothersbaugh (Thor: Ragnarok). The film opens exclusively in theaters on March 6, 2026.

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