During the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Friday, June 13, 2025, Pete Docter took the stage to reveal some new details from Pixar’s spring 2025 release, Hoppers.
The film, as noted by Docter during the D23 convention last year, “is about Mabel, who likes animals more than humans”. In the film, an amazing new technology has emerged, enabling humans to “hop” their minds into the body of a robotic animal. In turn, Mabel is fully able to talk with animals and warn/help them as human urban development threatens their animal homes.
Drew Taylor from The Wrap was in attendance at Annecy, and we recommend reading his entire write-up. But, to highlight a few pieces of the new footage, a quick summary is below.
POND SCENE
The footage began with a humorous scenario involving a bear trying to catch and eat a beaver. Mabel’s attempt to intervene comes across as off-putting to both the bear and beaver. How? Why?
A quick summary from King George, the king of the beavers (shown wearing a crown in a new screencap), explains the pond rules and how it’s “nature’s way.” Although it could be construed as a dark-themed scene, Drew stresses that it all comes across in a very humorous way.
MAYOR JERRY SCENE
The other clip shows the ritzy and high-falutin’ human character, Mayor Jerry, pushing for increased urban development. Doing this would further push more species of animals to live in too close quarters in the pond.
Later, Jerry enters his car and freaks out as he sees a beaver who soon grabs his cell phone and attempts to communicate with him. Mable (in animal form), also seated in the back of the car, fumbles as they try to tell Jerry to call off the development and to drive to the pond.
Drew goes on to explain a design choice from the film, highlighting that when the animals are speaking with each other, they appear cartoonish (like in the new screencap), but when a human sees them, they seem more like their standard form (with more blank eyes and expressions).
HOPPERS RELEASE DATE
Pete Docter, who called Hoppers an “action-packed comedy spy thriller,” is set to release in theaters on March 6, 2026.
WHAT IS HOPPERS ABOUT?
What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying? In 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 (SNL), and Jon Hamm (Mad Men, Fargo). The film opens exclusively in theaters on March 6, 2026.
EW also notes, “Mabel hops into this adorable beaver,” Docter said on June 5. “It’s kind of like Avatar, but cuter when she first hops. It is an incredible experience: to now inhabit an animal body is absolutely surreal. She loves it. And going out into nature is a dream come true.”
HOPPERS VOCAL CAST
- Mabel – Piper Curda
- King George – Bobby Moynihan
- Mayor Jerry – Jon Hamm
