‘Hoppers' Trailer: Pixar Film Pokes Fun at ‘Avatar' as a Young Scientist Gets Put Into the Body of a Beaver
'Hoppers' are a group of scientists who have discovered a way to mind-hop into robot animal bodies. So when Mabel (Piper Curda), an animal lover, learns that a construction company wants to destroy the local animal habitat, she uses the clever new technology to inhabit the body of a beaver.
More from Variety
'Elio' Box Office Flop: Why Can't Pixar Launch Original Films?
Global Box Office: Pixar's 'Elio' Craters With $35 Million, '28 Years Later' Awakens to $60 Million
How 'Elio' Pays Homage to Classic Sci-Fi Films Like 'The Thing,' 'Close Encounters' and 'Alien'
'This is like 'Avatar,'' Mabel quips in awe as she steps into the machine. 'It's not like 'Avatar,'' her colleague replies.
Speaking with Variety, director Daniel Chong said the whole discussion had been debated about unveiling the 'Avatar' joke in the trailer. 'I think there are a couple of reasons why it was good to just put it out there. One is to let you know we know that, you know, it's quite similar, at least the premise sounds a lot like 'Avatar.'' Chong adds that the idea is to let audiences know the movie's premise will be 'a little bit crazy. There are going to be things that are a little bit tongue-in-cheek, and it's going to be out there and chaotic.'
The trailer shows Mabel, after she's mind-hopped and is now the robot beaver, suddenly aware that she can understand other animals as Missy Elliot's 'Lose Control' song plays.
Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm are among the voice cast.
Hamm plays Mayor Jerry, the one trying to destroy the animals' habitat. And Hamm seemed like the perfect casting choice. 'That guy is hilarious,' says Chong. 'People know him from 'Mad Men,' but his comedy chops are incredible. And to be honest, he's very brave when it comes to comedy.' Chong promises, 'We have him do some pretty crazy stuff in our movies.'
Moynihan is an animation superstar and 'Saturday Night Live' alum. He most recently delivered the voice for Forgetter Bobby in Pixar's 'Inside Out 2.' Chong said, 'Having worked with Bobby already, I felt so lucky to be able to slip back into that relationship and pick up where we left off. He's just so naturally funny and charming and sweet. I would just say across the board, everyone on our cast is really funny.'
Curda, who voices Mabel, is a former Disney Channel actor who appeared in multiple episodes of the 2013-214 series 'A.N.T Farm.' She also featured in multiple episodes of the 2018-2022 CW superhero series 'Legacies.
There is more voice casting yet to be announced.
Chong promises, 'Hoppers' will have 'all the hallmarks of a Pixar movie.' He adds, It will be emotional, and it will be sincere, and it will be a big movie. But I think for me, I wanted comedy to be on a high level as we could.'
'Hoppers' will be released in theaters on March 6, 2026.
Watch the teaser below.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Pixar (@pixar)
Best of Variety
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How to watch 'The Sandman' Season 2: Premiere date, time, cast
More episodes of Season two of "The Sandman" are releasing on Netflix, with a series finale wrapping up the fantasy horror TV show at the end of July. The show revolves around a character named Morpheus, also known as the dream, played by Tom Sturridge. Morpheus works to restore his mystical realm known as the Dreaming after being imprisoned for a century. Once freed, the dream tries to repair his life by regaining his magical tools, which takes him to hell to visit Lucifer, played by Gwendoline Christie and in search of a deranged human, played by David Thewlis. In 2025, Netflix announced that 'The Sandman' would end after its second season. Showrunner Allan Heinberg told Variety in a statement that the show ending was a creative decision. However, the cancelation was also in light of sexual assault allegations against the creator Neil Gaiman, as previously reported by USA TODAY. "'The Sandman' series has always been focused exclusively on Dream's story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season," Heinberg said to Variety. What time does The Sandman season 2 premiere? The first six episodes of The Sandman Season 2 were released on July 3. Five more episodes will be released on Thursday, July 24 at 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT. The series finale will be available to stream on Thursday, July 31. Where to watch season 2 of The Sandman The new episodes of The Sandman will air on Netflix. The Sandman season 2 cast Watch The Sandman season 2 trailer CONTRIBUTING: Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY


The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Warren: Colbert ‘may have been canceled in order to curry favor' with Trump
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a Wednesday opinion piece for Variety that comedian Stephen Colbert's show may have been canceled by CBS 'to curry favor' with President Trump. CBS announced the cancelation on Friday, days after Colbert, a frequent critic of Trump, had criticized a merger between Skydance and Paramount, CBS's parent company. The approval of federal regulatory agencies is necessary for the merger to go through. While CBS said the cancelation was strictly a financial issue and there have been reports that Colbert's show was losing money, a number of observers and Colbert himself have raised the possibility of politics. 'In the coming weeks, months, and years, all of us must show Trump that we see his march toward authoritarianism and we will not be silenced. Democrats need to embrace the fight against corruption as a top priority. Republicans need to grow a spine and get behind common-sense anti-corruption measures,' Warren said in her piece. 'All Americans need to speak up. Because yes, it's a shame that CBS canceled 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' but it is a threat to all of us that the top late-night show in the country may have been canceled in order to curry favor with a wannabe king,' she added. Colbert tore into his own network and its parent company, Paramount Global, due to a decision to end 'The Late Show,' an action CBS said last week is financially required but is resulting in widespread criticism. The late-night host accused his network of leaking financial figures to the press, alleging 'The Late Show' was losing upward of $40 million each year as a reason for getting rid of the 'Late Show' franchise. Colbert stated that $40 million 'is a big number.' 'I could see us losing $24 million,' he added. 'But where could Paramount possibly have spent the other $16 million … oh wait.' Colbert was referencing a settlement Paramount agreed to pay Trump earlier this month to subdue a lawsuit the president filed targeting CBS over a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. 'Instead of fighting Trump on his 'meritless' lawsuit, Paramount settled, handing $16 million to Trump's presidential library. This looks like bribery in plain sight, and that's exactly what Stephen Colbert said on his show: '[T]his kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it's 'big, fat bribe.'' Warren said in her Variety article. 'Three days later, Paramount-owned CBS canceled Colbert's show. And Trump didn't waste a moment before celebrating the news,' she added.


New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' fans speculate Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. shot scenes separately
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt survived the original 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' — but they can't escape from new fan theories. Twenty-eight years after the 1997 slasher hit theaters, the movie returned with a sequel on July 18. 12 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' fans speculate about the film. X Along with new faces, including Madelyn Cline, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Chase Sui Wonders, audiences received the ultimate blast from the past. Prinze Jr., 49, reprised his role as Ray Bronson, while Hewitt, 46, brought back the iconic Julie James. However, on Saturday, one social media suggested that the stars didn't film their scenes together this time around. 'Okay guys. Let's spark a debate here,' they posted on X. 'Do you ACTUALLY think Jennifer Love Hewitt & Freddie Prinze Jr. filmed their scenes together for 'I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER' (2025)?! People are starting to notice the 'cuts and separate shots'. This is too much lol.' 12 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' fans think Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. shot scenes separately. X The Sony reboot's director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, quickly cleared up any confusion. 'They absolutely shot their scenes together. Hope this helps,' she wrote on X with a heart emoji. The original poster apologized to the filmmaker and shared that they felt embarrassed. Robinson, 37, responded, 'No apology necessary! I totally get why people might think that cause of some of the coverage but they are absolutely acting off each other. It was electric!' 12 Jennifer Love Hewitt in the new slasher. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Despite the pair filming their scenes together, Prinze Jr. revealed he hadn't seen Hewitt since shooting the 1998 sequel, 'I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.' 'We run in different circles,' the actor told Variety on Saturday. 'I hadn't seen her since we wrapped the second movie in '98, but we care a lot about these characters, and it was all still there.' 'After we finished that first scene, we had a chance to say, 'Oh, you have kids. And you have kids.' Honestly, I think the first scene we share in this movie, where Ray and Julie confront the reality of their relationship, is the best work we've done of all three,' Prinze Jr. continued. 'I'm really proud of it. Our director, Jenn Robinson, three-dimensionalized these characters.' 12 Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray in the 2025 'IKWYDLS.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The 'She's All That' alum tied the knot with his 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' co-star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in 2002. The pair share kids Charlotte, 15, and Rocky, 12. Hewitt, meanwhile, married her 'The Client List' co-star Brian Hallisay in 2013. The couple are parents to Autumn, 11, Atticus, 10, and Aidan, 3. There has been rumors of a decades-long feud between Hewitt and Gellar, 48. 12 Freddie Prinze Jr. in a scene from the new 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection On Friday, the 'Holiday Junkie' actress revealed she hasn't kept in touch with her former co-star since starring in the 1997 project. 'I honestly don't even know what that was or how that all came to be,' Hewitt told Vulture. 'I just think people don't want the narrative to be easy. Why do we always have to be against each other and out for each other.' 'I haven't seen Sarah,' she explained. 'Literally, we've not talked since I saw her at 18 years old when the first movie came out. That's why it's so funny to me. People were like, 'Say something back.' And I'm like, 'What am I going to say? I've not seen her.' On my side, we're good. I have no idea where this is coming from.' 12 Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. in a scene from 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection In the original horror film, Gellar played Helen Shivers, the beauty queen who was murdered. Ryan Phillippe starred as Barry William Cox, who was also killed the first time around. The 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' alum addressed rumors of bad blood after she and Hewitt didn't pose together for pictures on the red carpet last week. 'For everyone asking — I never got to see @jenniferlovehewitt, who is fantastic in the movie. I was inside with my kids when the big carpet happened. And unfortunately, JLH didn't come to the after-party,' Gellar wrote on Instagram at the time. 12 Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillipe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. in 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Mandalay Ent/Kobal/Shutterstock 'If you have ever been to one of these, it's crazy,' she continued. 'I sadly didn't get pics with most of the cast. But that doesn't change how amazing I think they all are. Unfortunately, some things happen only in real life and not online.' Gellar instead posed for pictures with Prinze Jr. and her former 'Buffy' co-star, Seth Green. She also snapped pictures with Robinson, and the slasher's new star, Cline. 12 Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt in the original film. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Hewitt previously addressed the online speculation in December. 'I just heard that there's this whole thing where they think that Sarah and I were fighting or something. There's all these things out there,' she said on Tommy DiDario's 'I've Never Said This Before' podcast. 'I've really enjoyed going and trying to read the stuff now and be like, 'What are people saying about when we did the movie before, now, all of that stuff?'' Hewitt continued. 'Somebody the other day was like, 'Yeah, I think Julie made sure that she was killed because girl actresses don't like to work with girl actresses.' I was like, 'What are you talking about?'' 12 Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddie Prinze Jr. in 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 12 The cast of 'I Know What You Did last Summer' poses at the film's premiere on October 8 in Hollywood. Fred Prouser 'I was 18,' the 'Party of Five' alum said. 'They were not taking script notes from me guys. Like what are you talking about?' That same month, Gellar was asked if Hewitt would return for the new 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' film. 'I have nothing to do with that,' she responded before walking away from the interviewer. Gellar later clarified why she left on her Instagram Stories. 12 Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. at the 2025 premiere of 'IKWYDLS.' FilmMagic 'Aspiring actors please note: This 'deer in the headlights' reaction is perfect for when you are excited to see so many old friends in one project but have already stupidly forgotten what NDA means once this month,' she penned beneath a shot from the film's Australian set. Hewitt also confirmed that the entire cast got along great on set in the '90s. 'All of us were in that experience together, kind of figuring it all out and everything,' she recalled. 'I root for her and Freddie and think it's the cutest thing in the world that they've been married for 100 years and have kids. It's adorable. So yeah it's been really funny to see all this stuff that people think.' 12 Jennifer Love Hewitt on the red carpet of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Sony Pictures via Getty Images This time around, Prinze Jr. had just as good of an experience. 'Whatever a high school union feels like, that's what it felt like,' he told People earlier this month. 'You have no idea what's changed, what's the same. You're excited to show what you think you're better at. You hope they notice it. It was all those things.'