February 23, 2026 (El Capitan Theatre)
March 6, 2026 (United States)
Hoppers is a 2026 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Daniel Chong and written by Jesse Andrews, the film features an ensemble voice cast led by Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, and Dave Franco. Its plot follows Mabel Tanaka, an animal lover, whose mind is transferred into a lifelike robotic beaver to communicate with animals and save their habitat from destruction, inadvertently starting an uprising in doing so.
Chong began working on a new original film at Pixar in December 2020, after returning to the studio. The film was first officially announced as Hoppers in August 2024, along with Curda, Moynihan, and Hamm revealed as part of the cast. Mark Mothersbaugh composed the score, and SZA wrote and performed the end credits song "Save the Day".
Hoppers premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on February 23, 2026, was screened at the New York International Children's Film Festival on February 28, and was released in the United States on March 6, 2026. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $252 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2026.
Storyline
In the city of Beaverton, young Mabel Tanaka spends her days with her grandmother in a local forest glade, home to many wild animals, particularly a colony of beavers. Inspired by her grandmother's love of nature, Mabel grows up with a deep passion for the natural world. Years later, Mabel's grandmother has died, and Jerry Generazzo, the mayor of Beaverton, announces plans to replace the glade with a freeway, since all the animals have left. Now an older Mabel actively campaigns against him, and attempts to rally the community through a petition, but to no avail. Her activism causes her to neglect her college studies, much to the frustration of her biology professor, Dr. Samantha "Sam" Fairfax.
One night, while trying to encourage the beavers to return to the glade, Mabel discovers that Sam and her colleagues have secretly been developing new technology to enhance wildlife research. Dubbed the "Hoppers" program, the device allows a human consciousness to "hop" into a robotic animal and experience life up close as that species. Seeing this as an opportunity to save the glade, Mabel hops into a robotic beaver against Sam's wishes and flees the lab, only to be snatched by an owl and dropped into the glade.
Mabel awakens there as the professors observe remotely through a robotic bird. She inadvertently agitates the animals, who believe that she is a real beaver, and is escorted to meet King George, the head beaver of the communal "Superlodge". Mabel locates an artificial tree that produces a sound that only animals can hear, which Jerry had installed to drive them away, and destroys it, causing George's subjects to begin returning to the glade. As Mabel learns the community's customs, she grows closer to George, and the two exchange stories about their lives. After revealing that his father cast him out when he was young, George asks Mabel to serve as his personal advisor.
Mabel is about to reveal her true identity to George, when Jerry, enraged by the animals' renewed resistance, blows up the beavers' dam and installs additional noise-emitting trees. Mabel and George convene a meeting of the Animal Council in the Superlodge, attended by delegates from various species, consisting of the Insect, Amphibian, Fish, Reptile and Bird monarchs. During an impassioned speech, Mabel inadvertently convinces the Council to assassinate Jerry, and while trying to talk them out of it, she accidentally kills the Insect Queen, becoming a target herself as a result, and flees the Superlodge with George.
Although initially upset that Mabel undermined his authority, George agrees to help her protect Jerry after she confesses that she is tired of feeling powerless. The Council, now led by the vengeful Insect King Titus, who has succeeded his mother, orchestrates an assassination attempt on Jerry by dropping a shark onto his car. Mabel and her friends help him narrowly escape, but Sam manages to untether Mabel from the robotic beaver, leaving George heartbroken as he cradles the lifeless robot.
The Council raids Sam's lab, tie up Jerry and Mabel and force the scientists to build a robotic clone of Jerry for Titus to inhabit. Titus plans to impersonate Jerry and use the audio frequencies of the noise-emitting trees at a political rally to destroy the brains of the humans in attendance. Realizing her anger had clouded her judgement, Mabel reconciles with Jerry, who hops into the robotic beaver to free them both, and she intervenes at the rally. Mabel attempts to reason with Titus, but he refuses to back down and reveals his ambition to rule over all animals, shocking the Council. As Mabel's friends disable the trees, she chases a deranged Titus up the last remaining one. The robotic Jerry's face is torn off, preventing him from triggering the attack. The tree collapses, destroying the robotic body and igniting a massive wildfire that consumes the glade and rapidly spreads toward the city. George chooses to help Mabel, while Titus is devoured by the Amphibian King. Realizing there's no other way to save Beaverton, George orders his subjects to dismantle what remains of the dam, flooding the glade and extinguishing the fire.
Jerry and Mabel reach an understanding; Jerry reroutes his freeway plans, helps restore the glade and designates it a protected wildlife preserve, and Mabel refocuses on her studies, graduates from college and, though the Hoppers program is discontinued, is hired as Sam's assistant. While they can no longer communicate verbally, Mabel and George's friendship endures, with George using text-to-speech software and emojis to communicate.
Also See
- Hoppers (2026) (TV Spots)
Movie Trailer
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Chickens Clucks Farm AT084301
- Hollywoodedge, Children Sml Grp Laug PE954803/Hollywoodedge, Small Group Kids Laug PE143601
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Door 3 Open SlamM PE180301
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Door OCKnob PE180101
- IOS Lock Sound
- IOS Tap Sound
- Pro Sound Effects, Seagulls and Crows, Birdcalls, Squawks, Screeches, Cries, CU
- SKYWALKER BIRD CHIRPING SOUNDS
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI - ROBOT PROBE'S EYE SENSOR
- SKYWALKER, WATER - SINGLE SPLASH
- SKYWALKER, WATER - SLOSHES AND LAPPING, VARIOUS
- SKYWALKER, WOOD - TREE MOVING, CRUNCHING
- Sound Ideas, ARCADE, VIDEO GAME - VIDEO GAME: ELECTRONIC SOUNDS, AMUSEMENT PARK, FAIR 02
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, DUCK - MALLARD DUCK: SINGLE CALL, ANIMAL
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, GOOSE - CANADA GOOSE: CALLS, GEESE, ANIMAL
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, TAWNY OWL - TAWNY OWL, STRIX ALUCO, BIRD, DIGIFFECTS (Heard once in a high pitch at a low volume.)
- Sound Ideas, BITE, CARTOON - BIG CHOMP
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, AIRPLANE - PROP PLANE POWER DIVE SCREAM
- Sound Ideas, COMPUTER, MOUSE - COMPUTER MOUSE, SINGLE CLICK, OFFICE 01
- Sound Ideas, FROG, BULLFROG - CROAKING, ANIMAL, AMPHIBIAN 02
- Sound Ideas, LAUGHTER, CROWD - MEDIUM STUDIO AUDIENCE: HARD LAUGHTER 04