At D23 this weekend, Disney revealed a first look and some story information about Hoppers, a new, original film from Pixar. Announced amid a sea of sequels, Hoppers will star Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, and Jon Hamm and has a sci-fi high concept. Set for release in early 2026, Hoppers centers on Mabel, an animal lover who transfers her consciousness into a robot beaver. She befriends a (real) royal Beaver named King George and helps him and his friends fend off a real estate developer. The premise has big Disney Channel Original Movie/80s kids’ movie vibes, so we’ll see how it plays with modern audiences.
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The title “Hoppers” feels a little strange — it evokes Hop, and will likely be a source of some confusion at first, especially with little critters showing up on the poster. It’s the terminology that movie will use to “hop” into the robots, though, so in context it makes sense (kind of like Flatliners).
Hoppers will follow Elio in the tradition of Pixar originals. Meanwhile, the studio has sequels planned for The Incredibles, Toy Story, and a TV spinoff from Inside Out (the sequel to that movie recently became the studio’s highest-grossing movie ever). Elio also has a pretty sci-fi concept, centering on a boy who is abducted by aliens, mistaken for the world’s ruler, and forced to stand trial for Earth’s crimes. At D23, fans learned that Elio’s mother (played by America Ferrera) will be replaced by his aunt (played by Zoe Saldana) in the film, due to scheduling conflicts with Ferrera. Director Adrian Molina is moving on to his next project, with Turning Red‘s Domee Shi and Burrow‘s Madeline Sharafian taking over to get Elio across the finish line.
Here’s the official synopsis, via Pixar’s website:
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 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.
Directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, Hoppers features the voices of Piper Curda (May December), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men, Fargo).
Hoppers opens exclusively in theaters in Spring 2026.
