Pixar Animation Studios has secured a critical and commercial victory with its latest original feature, “Hoppers,” which debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office. The eco-comedy generated $46 million domestically and $88 million globally during its opening weekend, soundly defeating Warner Bros.’ “The Bride!,” which managed $13.6 million globally. The financial return marks the largest opening for an original Pixar concept since “Coco” released in 2017, providing a stabilizing hit for the studio following the box-office struggles of “Elio.”
Directed by “We Bare Bears” creator Daniel Chong, the film follows Mabel, a 19-year-old failing college student and environmentalist voiced by Piper Curda. Utilizing mind-hopping technology invented by a professor named Dr. Sam, played by Kathy Najimy, Mabel transfers her consciousness into a robotic beaver. Her objective is to infiltrate the animal kingdom and unite the local wildlife—including a regal beaver named King George, voiced by Bobby Moynihan—against Mayor Jerry. Voiced by Jon Hamm, the glad-handing politician intends to bulldoze a pristine natural glade to construct the Beaverton Beltway.
Reviewers have highlighted the film as a return to form that pushes the studio’s traditional comedic boundaries. The New York Times described the production as a wonderfully unhinged and madcap eco-fable that successfully balances themes of grief, empathy, and environmental conservation with absurd action sequences, including an animal revolution and a land-based shark involved in a car chase. The picture actively riffs on golden-era millennial animation tropes and science fiction concepts reminiscent of “Avatar.”
Holding a 94 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the release confirms a renewed appetite for original, high-concept storytelling within the broader entertainment industry.