Pixars Hoppers Opens to Critical Acclaim

Pixar's latest animated feature, Hoppers, opened in theaters on March 6, 2026, earning widespread critical acclaim for its inventive blend of environmental adventure and whimsical animation. Directed by Daniel Chong, the film follows 19-year-old environmental activist Mabel Tanaka, who uses experimental technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver body, aiming to protect a cherished natural glade from a proposed highway expansion in her hometown of Beaverton.

The story centers on Mabel, voiced by Piper Curda, a passionate animal lover whose protests against the development project led by Mayor Jerry, voiced by Jon Hamm, yield little success. After discovering her professor's secret "hopping" device, developed by Dr. Sam Fairfax and voiced by Kathy Najimy, Mabel infiltrates an animal community to rally wildlife back to the site. There, she forms an unlikely alliance with King George, an affable beaver leader portrayed by Bobby Moynihan, who presides over a harmonious superdam refuge for displaced creatures. Mabel's bold efforts, however, spiral into chaos, drawing in a diverse cast of animal characters and escalating tensions between species and humans.