Pixar CCO Pete Docter Says ‘Hoppers’ Is “Like Avatar But Cuter”
After a slow couple of years that saw the studio detoured by the launch of Disney+ and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pixar is set to return to theaters in a major way over the next 18 months.
Last year, Pixar found historic success with the release of Inside Out 3. Now, however, the studio is set to debut two original films.
Image: Pixar
In just a few weeks, the long-awaited Elio will arrive in theaters. I, however, want to focus on a movie that was announced less than a year ago.
Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’
At Destination D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Pixar CCO Pete Docter announced that an original film called Hoppers would be released to theaters in 2026.
“What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying? In Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film Hoppers, scientists have discovered how to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals,” the film’s synopsis reads.
“The adventure introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.”
Pixar Is Finishing Up on the Film
After Pixar’s presentation at the Annecy International Animation Festival, Docter sat down with Collider to discuss the studio’s upcoming slate of films.
Turning his attention to Hoppers, Docter revealed that the film is almost finished!
Photo: Pixar
“We’re in the last months of finishing the movie,” Docter shared. “It’s looking great.”
Introducing Mabel
Hoppers will follow the story of Mabel, a nature-loving student who grew up in a small town with her mother and grandmother.
“She grew up in this small town in the upper northwest by a nearby glade, which was a sanctuary to hundreds of animals,” Docter explained.
Hoppers. Photo: Pixar
When the animal haven is threatened by Mayor Jerry German Generosity, who wants to build a massive highway.
“Mabel’s arch nemesis is moving fast,” said Docter. “But as you can imagine, there’s no way she’s going to let anything happen to her beloved glade.”
After Mabel finds that her fellow townspeople are unwilling to help her stop the project, she turns to the Hoppers, a group of eccentric animal scientists who developed a way to hop their minds into robot animal bodies.
Photo: Also Pixar
Drawing inspiration from the invention, she transforms into an animatronic beaver and sets out into the wilderness to reintroduce animals into the glade.
“Little Like ‘Avatar'”
Eventually, the young girl finds herself wrapped up in animal politics.
“So what happens next is a little like Avatar meets Mission: Impossible meets Planet Earth. It’s an action-adventure comedy spy thriller where the humor, the heart, and the adventure leap from the screen in surprising ways.”
Source: Also 20th Century Studios
Based on Docter’s description, Hoppers sounds like another Pixar hit!
The film will be released in theaters in March 2026.
