‘Hoppers’ Director Daniel Chong Denies That Pixar Censored the Film
After the disappointing release of Elio, Pixar is set to return to theaters next year with another original film, Hoppers.
Hitting theaters on March 6, 2026, Hoppers will tell the story of a young girl named Mabel, who transfers her mind into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals.
“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.
Photo: Pixar
“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.”
The Hollywood Reporter Said Pixar Censored the Film
Ahead of the film’s release, a report from The Hollywood Reporter suggested that Pixar had asked the team to tone down the environmental themes and reportedly stated that there couldn’t be a divorce in the movie.
Photo: Pixar
After changes were reportedly made to Elio and Win or Lose to tone down the “woke” themes, the inference was that Hoppers had also been changed.
Director Daniel Chong Pushes Back
In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Hoppers director Daniel Chong was asked about the reports. Chong denied that any interference had come from above.
“I did not experience having being censored or being told not to do things.”
Photo: Pixar
Instead, Chong continued, he “felt a lot of alignment in the studio.”
“Every movie here goes through so much iteration and changes a lot,” he explained.
While the director admitted that he could see why people outside of the creative process thought things were being censored, in the end, the final film was the story that Chong wanted to tell.
Photo: Pixar
“The things that I wanted this movie to say and to feel are still in the movie, so that’s the best I can say for our process,” he concluded.
An Important Film For Pixar
After the disastrous release of Elio, all eyes are going to be on Hoppers when the film hits theaters. If the film bombs, it will not bode well for future Pixar original films.
Photo: Pixar
Needless to say, the pressure is on.
