Pixar's Newest Film ‘Hoppers' Asks, ‘What if You Could Talk to Animals?'

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7 days ago

We spoke with director Daniel Chong about his debut feature-length film releasing in spring of 2026, and how he compares the process to parenting.
As Pixar has built a reputation on writing its own rulebook for crafting stories that are both relevant and timeless, the question, "What if?" has been a guiding light in many of their on-screen ventures.
That question looms large in the idea behind their upcoming feature film, Hoppers, releasing in theaters March 6, 2026.
The premise reads: What if you could talk to animals and understand what they're saying? In Disney and 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, a college student and animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.
Have a look at the brand new teaser trailer:
Now, if you're thinking that's giving some big James Cameron's Avatar vibes, you're not wrong. In fact, Daniel Chong, the director of Hoppers openly acknowledges the influence–though he calls it just a "soft jumping-off point" for where the movie is really headed. In addition, he mentions another big film franchise that he drew inspiration from.
"One of the other biggest influences for us was Mission: Impossible," Chong tells Parents. "The movie becomes a bit of an espionage movie, where Mabel is going undercover. It will lead to a lot of crazy thrills that you did not expect."
Chong goes on to describe the character of Mabel as being just as unpredictable as the adventure she's on, and how viewers who are animal lovers and rule-breakers (for a good cause) should get a lot of enjoyment from Hoppers.
Character and Narrative Connections
As with many of the directors in Pixar's filmography, Chong's relationship to his first feature film is a personal one. Having been a story artist at Pixar before becoming a director, he says it's only natural that a lot of himself would be sprinkled throughout the story.
He points to his love for animals and his fascination with how they coexist with humans as the original thematic spark behind the movie. He also reveals how he leaned on his own close relationship with his mother to inform Mabel's relationship with her grandmother in the film.
"I channeled a lot of that into the movie, because that's the relationship that grounds [Mabel] in her love of nature and why she wants to protect it so desperately," says Chong. "Mabel is also a bit unhinged, and a little chaotic, and unpredictable. She's led by her passions, so [viewers] can expect some unpredictability from her."
As seen in the trailer, Mabel's protective instinct should serve her well at some points and not so well at others, as she navigates a world very different from her own. Chong speaks to how the characters treading into scientific innovation leads to them crossing wires with some established rules of nature. And while the two don't always mix, there are some lessons that can come from it.
"A lot of the movie is about how [Mabel] coexists, not just with other animals, but with other people," Chong notes. "[It's about] how she relates to them, and the consequences of decisions she makes, good and bad. She's learning to navigate connection more than anything; and as she does, she'll learn how to build them over the process of the story."
Research and Mystery
As for how he chose a beaver to be the avatar animal for Mabel's experience, Chong says it came after a lot of trial and error, but it was a decision that made a ton of sense after doing research.
"They call [beavers] one of the 'ecosystem engineers'", says Chong. "During the rewinding of Yellowstone National Park, wolves were a big part of that equation, but beavers played a big role also. Once the beavers set up their ponds and lodges, all these other animals began to return to the area because the ecosystem [they helped build] restored the habitat."
Chong explains how the knowledge that these "little rodents can do engineering" inspired him to make them the focal point in the movie, highlighting that even the smallest among us can make a big impact.
Diving a little deeper into the research Chong and the team did for Hoppers, he talks about a trip they took to Yellowstone where they immersed themselves in the wild with the animals, just like Mabel will be.
"One of the cool things they tell you as you enter Yellowstone is, 'You are now entering the animals' world. This is not your place, so you need to respect it,'" Chong recalls. "It was a really grounding experience for all of us to recontextualize our place."
The film's art team also went to Colorado to actually swim in beaver ponds, with the guidance of Emily Fairfax. Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and beaver expert. While there, they took photos and learned everything they could about beaver habitats.
Chong laughs, saying, "I'm glad I didn't go because I have a feeling I would not have survived. But they went the extra mile for the research, and I hope it shows in the movie."
Regarding Mabel's journey in the movie, Chong teases how she may get a rude awakening when it comes to respecting animals' habitats as well.
"That's the thing about the animal world–there's still so much we don't understand. There's so much mystery; and we may not ever understand animal intelligence totally. But that's the fun of the movie–seeing how that all plays out."
How the 'Village' Brings Everything to Life
While Chong does not have kids, and doesn't profess to understand all that the parenting journey entails, he is a "parent" to this movie. And he draws a very clear connection to both processes needing a village.
"Making a movie (especially one at Pixar) is a tough journey," he acknowledges. "It takes a long time, and you're basically iterating the same story over and over and over again [to the point that] you can lose your way and lose perspective so easily."
Sound familiar?
"The only thing that really helps me survive this process is the support of the people around me," Chong continues. "I felt very luck to have a great team–some of them I've known for quite a long time. Having a support system I can rely on really made it more plausible, so I didn't have to cary the burden of making the movie every day."
Chong says he hopes the work this village put in on Hoppers will ultimately shine through next spring.
Read the original article on Parents
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