Pixar’s New Sci-Fi Movie Gets Huge Praise in First Reactions (but There’s Still 1 Thing To Be Worried About)

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Pixar, once the leader in animated movies, has faced some challenges recently. Although they’re still capable of big successes – Inside Out 2 earned over $1 billion in 2024 – some of their newer films haven’t performed well in theaters. Movies like Lightyear and Elio didn’t attract many viewers, and even Elemental, despite eventually gaining traction, didn’t reach the popularity of Pixar’s older, most beloved films. Now, everyone is eager to see how Pixar’s newest movie, Hoppers, will do. While we don’t have box office predictions yet, Hoppers is already getting positive buzz.

Before its official release in March, Pixar screened Hoppers for the press, and early reactions are now surfacing online. The film is getting a lot of positive buzz, with many praising its humor, voice acting, and engaging story. Here’s a look at some of the initial responses:

I think ‘Hoppers’ is one of Pixar’s strongest films in recent years, and it might be their funniest yet. Jon Hamm is brilliantly slimy as Mayor Jerry, and Meryl Streep absolutely shines, but I don’t want to give away too much more.

— Chris Killian (@chriskillian) January 28, 2026

Pixar’s Hoppers is a hilarious film, but its charm goes beyond just being funny. It’s packed with creative ideas, playful jokes, and a lot of genuine emotion. The characters are incredibly cute, and the movie also delivers a powerful message about protecting the environment. It feels both fresh and uniquely Pixar – a total winner!

— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) January 29, 2026

“Hoppers” is delightfully wild and builds to a truly moving and powerful ending – it’s the kind of emotional storytelling Pixar excels at. Dave Franco gives an incredible and surprisingly unrecognizable voice performance, perfectly complemented by the fantastic animation. There are also a couple of visual jokes that are immediately memorable. I’m already looking forward to rewatching it!

— Jace Diehl (@JaceDiehl) January 28, 2026

I was completely captivated by #Hoppers and can’t get it out of my head! It’s one of the most creative, touching, and delightfully strange films Pixar has made in a long time. It even made me appreciate beavers! Huge thanks to @threebarebears and the entire team!

— tyler “llewyn” taing (@tylerllewtaing) January 28, 2026

Hoppers is a fantastic and funny film! It’s incredibly clever, feels totally new and original, and really resonates with what’s happening right now. It’s like a punk rock version of a Pixar movie – the most exciting original film from Pixar since Soul! More thoughts to come soon from Disney.

— Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) January 28, 2026

HOPPERS is a wildly funny and energetic film – easily one of the best of the year. It’s bold and takes risks, but they really pay off. While feeling new and original, it still captures the heartwarming spirit of classic Pixar movies. The voice performances are top-notch, and Dave Franco has a truly memorable line.

— Shahbaz • The Movie Podcast (@shayhbaz) January 28, 2026

Pixar’s Hoppers is a genuinely heartwarming and funny film. Daniel Chong and the Pixar team have created a beautiful story about how we’re all connected and how even small actions can have a big impact. It really captures the magic of classic Pixar movies.

— Daniel Baptista • The Movie Podcast (@dbapz) January 28, 2026

Will Hoppers Be a Box Office Success?

While initial reactions on social media aren’t the same as full reviews – similar excitement surrounded Edgar Wright’s The Running Man before its reviews became more mixed – they’re still promising and suggest Hoppers could be really good. If the film lives up to the hype, the main question is whether that positive buzz will translate into ticket sales. Pixar movies used to be automatic box office hits, but now, sequels are more reliable draws, and original films face more uncertainty.

The film Elio illustrates this pattern. Despite receiving good reviews, it had Pixar’s weakest opening weekend ever and only made $154.2 million worldwide. It struggled because it came out shortly after the live-action remakes of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, meaning audiences weren’t looking for another family movie at that time. A different release date might have helped Elio perform better. However, Hoppers is expected to fare well, as it’s opening against a horror film (The Bride!) geared towards a different audience. Plus, Hoppers is one of the first major animated releases of the year, potentially capitalizing on a lack of similar films in theaters.

Pixar is counting on the success of Hoppers in theaters. While the studio has sequels like Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 in the works, creating original films has always been central to what Pixar does. They built their reputation in the late 90s and 2000s by turning unique ideas into popular movies. The fact that Gatto is scheduled for release shows Pixar still wants to make original content, but those films need to be profitable to justify continued investment. If sequels consistently outperform original movies, Pixar’s leaders might decide that original films aren’t worth the risk anymore.

Pixar showing the entire movie over a month before it comes out suggests they’re really happy with it. They likely wouldn’t do that unless they were confident people would enjoy Hoppers and start talking about it. Now they have time to build excitement, which puts the film in a good position. There’s a lot of reason to feel good about Hoppers, and hopefully it’s a success.

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2026-01-29 18:23