Pixar Announces New Original Film ‘Gatto,' Previews Joan Cusack's ‘Toy Story 5' Return and Presents ‘Hoppers' Exclusive Footage at Annecy
Today, Disney and Pixar reaffirmed their commitment to France's Annecy Animation Festival, a world-class event the studios now use annually to deliver exclusive news and preview screenings to a global audience of animation fans.
In what opened as a regular preview showcase of upcoming 'Elio,' DisneyPixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter unveiled a packed Pixar slate featuring an all-new film, breaking the news to an ecstatic audience at Annecy, which he called 'the greatest festival in the world.'
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'Gatto', expected in summer 2027, comes from the filmmaking team behind 'Luca,' director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren. Casarosa's directorial debut feature, now turned fan-favorite due to his lovable characters and lush Italian settings, 'Luca' was the first Pixar film to be released exclusively on Disney+, as Hollywood execs struggled to adapt to the pandemic's shifting tides.
Since then, DisneyPixar has —to all animation fans' greatest pleasure— pivoted back to a worldwide theatrical release strategy, paired with exclusive premieres. Annecy crowds may well be the very first audience to discover 'Gatto' in June 2027.
This new Pixar film returns to Italy, Casarosa's birth country, this time to Venice, where, after years of maneuvering the seaside, an extraordinary city, a black cat named Nero begins to question whether he's lived the right life.
A partial music-lover —at least, his tail is— and non-swimming feline who is indebted to a local feline mob boss, Nero, finds himself in a quandary and is forced to forge a truly unexpected friendship with Maya, a street artist who adopts him against his will.
Together, those two individuals form an odd couple, but this relation might finally lead Nero to find his purpose…. unless the mysterious and dark side of Venice gets the better of him first.
The Annecy crowd cheered the announcement and went wild as Docter unveiled animation tests of a distinct, unique hand-painted look, something Pixar has never shown before. The film appears to be rich in colors from Venetian settings, and blends 2D hand paint textures with cutting-edge CG animation.
As 'Luca' continues to delight Pixar fans and family audiences alike, 'Gatto' is scheduled for summer 2027. 'Luca' was re-released last year, along with two other COVID-struck Pixar films, 'Turning Red' and 'Soul,' and is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
Animation-hungry Annecy crowds were not disappointed by this year's showcase, as 'Elio' filmmakers Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and producer Mary Alice Drumm took the stage and offered a not-so-brief 27-minute preview of their long-awaited feature.
From tears to joy, fans were treated by a highly sensitive 'Inside-Out' level opening, after which the Sharafian, Shi and Drumm took Annecy's audience by hand to a whole new Pixar environment, the luscious Communiverse. Elio, mistaken for Earth's leader, becomes part of this galactic assembly and meets a wide variety of aliens. Carefully designed by Pixar teams, those creatures range from quirky-looking squids to furry and slender ostriches and live in an environment deeply inspired by marine life, deep-sea creatures and macrophotography. Oscar winner and production designer Harley Jessup helped the team bring this colorful universe to life, creating a wonderful, soon-to-be children's favorite, brand new world.
What has been shown so far from this female-driven project enchanted festival goers, leaving them eager to discover the full scope of the adventures that await Elio and Aunt Olga (voiced by Academy Award Winner Zoe Saldaña), as Elio travels millions of miles across the universe encountering a host of out-of-this world creatures who just might help him figure out exactly where he belongs. 'Elio' hits global theaters next week.
'Hoppers' is helmed by BAFTA Children's Awards winner Daniel Chong ('We Bare Bears') and appears to bring a refreshing humor to this strikingly beautiful girl-turns-beaver modern ecological adventure. With voice talents such as Primetime Emmy winner Jon Hamm and 'Saturday Night Live' actor and writer Bobby Moynihan, 'Hoppers' tells the story of Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda), who wants to protect her favorite local pond from a highway construction project. To do so, she steals 'Hoppers' technology, which places her consciousness into a robotic beaver and allows her to uncover mysteries within the animal world beyond her imagination.
DisneyPixar's CCO Peter Docter — who was honored today with an induction into Annecy's Walk of Fame — delighted Pixar fans with exclusive footage from 'Hoppers' along with a sneak peek at the first two minutes of the studio's summer 2026 release, 'Toy Story 5.'
Following up with 'Toy Story 5,' Docter confirmed the return of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack as Jessie in this next 'Toy Story' chapter and announced exciting new characters as well. A 'Toys Meet Tech', as Docter described it, this new 'Toy Story' film follows an eight-year-old Bonnie as she discovers her new toy tablet. A device that is as enticing as can be, and that the other toys will have to deal with.
A two-minute clip that had fans instantly on board, as the studio celebrates the 30th birthday of the fan-favorite, trailblazing franchise. 'Toy Story', released in 1995, is the first feature-length computer-animated film ever released and the debut feature release from Pixar Animation Studios, released by Walt Disney Pictures – a film that revolutionized the industry and brought forth the age of computer-generated animation.
As the supervising animator on the original 'Toy Story,', Docter showcased rarely seen legacy footage from the film, which brought fame and fortune to Pixar and started a franchise that has since received 18 Academy Award nominations and won 3 Academy Awards and a Special Achievement Award, with best animated feature for both 'Toy Story 3' and 'Toy Story 4' and best original song ('We Belong Together'), featured in the acclaimed third installment of Woody and Buzz' franchise.
30 years ago, 'Toy Story' was showcased in Annecy. Today, it definitely seemed that Docter was once again telling Annecy's crowds: 'You've Got a Friend in Me.'
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