Hoppers Trailer & Fun Facts
Hoppers Synopsis:
A spirited animal lover named Mabel Tanaka uses experimental technology to "hop" her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver to stop a massive development project from destroying a local animal habitat. Going undercover in the wild, Mabel finds herself caught between the human world and the secret society of the animal kingdom. Guided by a charismatic beaver leader named King George, she must navigate the hilarious complexities of beaver society and outmaneuver a greedy mayor to save the sanctuary.
Genre: Animation, Family, Comedy
Release Date: In theaters March 6th, 2026
Hoppers Fun Facts:
Inspired by Real-Life "Janky" Robots:
The idea came from real BBC nature documentaries (like Spy in the Wild), where filmmakers place robotic animals in the woods to film wildlife up close. Director Daniel Chong thought the robots looked funny and awkward because they didn't move quite right. He decided this would be a great idea for a Pixar comedy.
From Penguins to Beavers:
Director Daniel Chong first pitched the idea of making the movie about penguins. But Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, pointed out that there were already too many penguin movies, like Happy Feet and Madagascar. When Chong started researching beavers, he thought they were much more exciting. He loved that beavers are "ecosystem engineers" who fix up the environment, and he decided they were the perfect choice for a unique story.
A "Cuter" Avatar:
Other than nature documentaries, Chong stated the movie is also influenced by Avatar and spy-thriller sequences from Mission: Impossible. The story uses "sci-fi" ideas, like transferring human consciousness to a robotic beaver, Mabel going undercover in the wild as a robotic beaver, and learning to follow "Pond Rules" while dealing with real-life predators, which are just pure comedy.
A Meryl Streep First:
Even though Meryl Streep is a very accomplished actress, this is the first time she has ever voiced a character in a Pixar film. She plays the "Insect Queen," a wise butterfly who floats around and leads the group of animals that makes the forest's rules.
Cutting-Edge "Paintbrush" Tech:
The nature scenes can look messy or crowded in high-definition CGI; to fix the issue, Pixar created a new paintbrush tool just for this movie. It makes the backgrounds look more like a soft painting, and this helps the characters stand out against the dense forest scenery. This tool also allows artists to add soft, painted lines to the 3D characters, making the animals look real and cute.
Real-Life Beaver "Snorkeling":
To make the animation look real, Pixar's artists visited Yellowstone National Park on a field research trip. They didn't just watch beaver interaction from land; they actually snorkeled in beaver ponds and explored beaver lodges with expert Emily Fairfax. This helped the artists understand how beavers move and behave underwater.