Pixar’s New Hoppers Trailer Reveals a Family-Friendly Twist on a Sci-fi Classic

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Pixar proved it can still create blockbuster movies with last year’s Inside Out 2, but the studio has faced challenges recently. Unlike the successes of the 2000s and 2010s, several recent Pixar films haven’t performed well at the box office, and this summer’s Elio was a particularly low point. While Pixar has several promising sequels planned – including Toy Story 5 next year – they’re also working to regain their footing with new, original stories. Their next original film, Hoppers, is scheduled for 2026 and has just released a new trailer.

Okay, so Pixar just dropped the new trailer for Hoppers, and it looks fantastic! They really timed it well, it’s playing before Zootopia in theaters, which is smart. Honestly, the trailer gives a lot away about the story. It’s basically Pixar’s take on Avatar – a student, Mabel, finds this tech that lets you transfer your mind into an animal body. She ends up as a beaver! From what we see, she gets super involved in helping these animals fight to get their land back from humans, but things might get a little extreme. You really have to check out the trailer – it’s linked below!

Can Hoppers Be a Much-Needed Hit for Pixar?

The initial teaser for Hoppers clearly referenced Avatar, showing Disney and Pixar aren’t trying to avoid the comparison. However, while Avatar became a massive, blockbuster franchise, Hoppers doesn’t have the same guarantee of success. Pixar used to reliably turn unique ideas into hits, but the disappointing performance of Elio proves that the studio’s reputation alone isn’t enough to attract audiences to theaters anymore. This might be because Pixar increasingly releases films on Disney+; people have gotten used to watching Pixar movies at home, especially since the start of the pandemic.

The film Hoppers could potentially change the recent trend of underperforming animated movies. Releasing it in early spring looks promising because it’s a quieter time for family films at the box office, giving Hoppers a chance to really stand out. The movie Elio didn’t do well because it came out right after two huge hits, Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, which already captured the attention of its target audience. Hoppers, however, will be released alongside a horror movie (The Bride!) and alongside Scream 7, which is likely to be losing some viewers, giving Hoppers a better opportunity to attract families.

While Hoppers shares similarities with Avatar (though it’s not the first story of its kind), it looks like a fresh and enjoyable take on a familiar idea. The comedy shines through Mabel’s interactions with the animals, especially when she meets them for the first time – it’s a classic ‘stranger in a strange land’ scenario. Hoppers also has the potential to be deeply moving, like the best Pixar films, by combining an imaginative story with relatable emotions. Mabel’s journey could be about finding where she truly belongs, and discovering a sense of home with the animals.

As a huge Disney and Pixar fan, I’m really hoping Hoppers does well. It feels like Disney’s had a bit of a tough year at the box office, although Zootopia 2 should help. But for Pixar specifically, Hoppers is a big one. They still want to make original stories – and Gatto is already planned for 2027, which is exciting – but they need those films to be big hits to convince the studio to keep making them. I’m crossing my fingers that a great story and a smart release date will get Hoppers back to the level of success Pixar deserves.

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2025-11-20 22:10