Pixar May Finally Snap an 11-Year Box Office Slump With Its New Original

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Pixar, known for beloved animated films like Toy Story since 1995, may be about to regain its box office success. While the studio has a long history of critically acclaimed hits, its recent films haven’t performed as well with audiences after a decade of mixed results.

Box Office Pro predicts Pixar’s new movie, Hoppers, will likely earn between $50 and $60 million in its opening weekend in the United States.

If the film performs well and earns close to the higher end of predicted estimates, it would be the first original Pixar movie to open with $60 million or more since Inside Out earned $90.4 million in 2015.

The last movie to have a similar opening weekend was Coco, which made $50.8 million from Friday to Sunday in 2017. Because Coco opened on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it earned a total of $72.9 million over the five-day holiday. This hinted at the success to come for the original film, which ultimately grossed $796.1 million globally.

Currently, Coco is Pixar’s most recent original film to earn over $500 million worldwide. Hopper is also on track to potentially reach that same milestone, making it a real possibility.

Ever since Coco, it feels like Pixar’s movies haven’t quite had the same impact. And then, with the pandemic, things really changed. They started releasing films like Soul, Luca, and Turning Red straight to Disney+, which meant they skipped theaters altogether. It was a big shift, and I think it hurt their chances of reaching as many people as they usually do.

As a big Pixar fan, I was so excited when they started releasing movies in theaters again. But honestly, the new originals didn’t quite start strong. Elemental opened with around $29.6 million, and Elio even less, at $20.8 million. Thankfully, Elemental eventually found its audience and did well, but Elio just didn’t seem to catch on the same way.

Despite Pixar’s renewed focus on releasing films in theaters, Elio only found success on Disney+, which isn’t the outcome the studio hoped for.

However, the sequels have been incredibly successful. Inside Out 2 had a huge opening weekend, earning $154.1 million domestically – far more than any other recent Pixar movie. It eventually grossed $1.69 billion worldwide, making it Pixar’s biggest hit ever.

Early numbers suggest Hoppers might have the biggest opening weekend of any original Pixar film in over a decade. This is particularly exciting for the studio, as audiences haven’t embraced new, original ideas as much lately. Plus, critics are loving Hoppers, with many calling it one of Pixar’s funniest movies yet.

A positive response isn’t enough for a new Pixar movie to succeed. It needs to feel relevant and demonstrate why people love Pixar, without simply relying on past favorites.

The success of Hoppers suggests people are excited to see original animated films again.

Pixar’s Box Office Uncertainty in 2026

Even if Hoppers isn’t as groundbreaking as classic Pixar films like Coco, Up, or Finding Nemo, achieving success in theaters would still be a significant accomplishment.

Over the past ten years, Pixar has continued to create and release original stories, even though it would have been easier to just make sequels. While new stories are important to them, sequels generally make a lot more money.

After Hoppers, Pixar currently has only one original film confirmed for theatrical release: Gatto, a film with a distinctive animation style, planned for release about a year from now.

If Hoppers does well in theaters, it could prove that original animated movies can still attract audiences. A successful run might also encourage Pixar to heavily promote upcoming films like Gatto.

Pixar’s franchise films are looking strong. This summer, Toy Story 5 is expected to be a major hit, potentially earning over $1 billion worldwide. Plus, they’re already working on Incredibles 3 and a sequel to Coco, which should guarantee continued success at the box office.

While it might seem like an overreaction, the performance of Hoppers is more than just about its opening weekend numbers. It really feels like a key test for Pixar, to see if they can still draw audiences with completely original stories released in cinemas.

If the movie is a success, it will show that Pixar can continue to create exciting and beloved stories for today’s audiences.

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2026-02-25 22:35