To build interest in the upcoming Pixar film Hoppers, Disney is offering early access screenings a week before the general release. Previews are usually reserved for social media influencers and critics, some of whom have already seen the movie and are under a review embargo. However, giving Pixar fans a chance to see it early suggests studio confidence in the film.
🚨Get your tickets NOW to see #Hoppers arriving in theaters March 6 with special early access screenings on February 28!
🎟️ Early access 2/28https://t.co/X3CHmKshrU
🎟️ In theaters everywhere 3/6https://t.co/6hXy68eXUw pic.twitter.com/gdfJFuznIG
— Pixar (@Pixar) January 28, 2026
Hoppers’ unusual premise may make word of mouth especially important.
What We Know About Hoppers
Hoppers is the feature film debut of director Daniel Chong and puts a modern spin on Dr. Doolittle. According to the Pixar website, Hoppers is the story of Mabel (Piper Curda), an animal lover who uses a new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robot beaver that allows her to talk to animals.
The woodland animals in Hoppers – Pixar, YouTube
READ: Alastair Duncan Returns as Mimir in Amazon’s God of War Series
A trailer, released at the end of November 2025, shows that the plot follows the usual story beats, with Mabel entering a new world and learning its rules. Eventually, the animal kingdom decides to push back against the suburban humans who are infringing on nature. Nothing in the trailer suggests the film leans heavily on edgy humor or overt social messaging, which has been a frequent criticism aimed at some recent Disney projects.
That said, even with an ensemble voice cast including Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, and John Hamm, an early access release of Hoppers may have to do some heavy lifting to draw an audience. The movie may appeal to children through a new set of animal characters while Zootopia 2 remains fresh in their minds. But the familiar—if tried and true—plot may lead adults to wait for streaming on Disney+.
The disappointing box office performance of 2025’s Elio proved that the Pixar name alone isn’t enough to bring families to theaters.
A Runway to Redemption?
Elio had the all-time worst opening weekend for a Pixar film. Like Hoppers, it wasn’t a sequel and was expected to be a return to the kind of original storytelling that had defined the studio. However, last-minute restructuring, re-animating, and creative-team turnover may have cost the film its identity—and audiences seem to have noticed. DreamWorks’ live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, which released about the same time, outpaced Elio by a wide margin.
Elio in the trailer for the Pixar movie Elio – YouTube, Pixar
READ: EPCOT Is Finally Fixing One Of Their Biggest Maintenance Issues
A March debut could provide Hoppers with a clear runway. There will be no other family films in theaters competing with it, which could work in its favor if early buzz is strong. However, at the moment excitement for Hoppers doesn’t appear especially high. The trailer on Pixar’s YouTube channel from four months ago has 7.4 million views. By comparison, the trailer for DreamWorks’ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has picked up 14 million views in half the time.
Mario and Luigi in the desert kingdom from the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Trailer – YouTube, Nintendo of America
READ: Nelson Peltz’s Next Sphere Location Revealed to Be Former Proposed Disney Site
With Hoppers, Pixar has an opportunity to redeem itself with both families and the industry, and giving fans early access is potentially a good sign. But as sequels continue to dominate the box office and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie looms on the horizon, Disney executives are likely watching closely. Early screenings can build buzz, but only ticket sales will decide whether Hoppers marks a true turnaround for Pixar.
Are you going to see Hoppers? Let us know in the comments!
UP NEXT: Warhammer YouTube Channels Deleted as Shadowy Enforcement Firm Targets Fan Creators
Once again an Unoriginal Hippie Movie.
Even Over The Hedge was more original and creative then this shït. Pixar needs to go back to movies about Grimm Fairytales, or Childhood Imagination like Toy Story.
I’d be ok with a Toy Story spin off with new Toys at a place like Disneyland. Make it so the Toys Rig the Games so they can be adopted by Kids. It would be awesome to see Toys piss off Carnys who scam people.
Just don’t make it Woke and the movie would be a hit!!!!!
Anything from Disney should be ignored.