Two beavers looking happy and one wearing a crown in Hoppers
The film, which stars Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, and Dave Franco, gives audiences a glimpse at a world where technology allows humans to transfer their consciousness into robotic animals.
At the forefront is a young girl named Mabel , who uses this ability to infiltrate the animal kingdom. She befriends a regal beaver, King George , and together, they embark on a thrilling adventure to protect their worlds from an impending threat. And while Hoppers is a unique Pixar feat on its own, debuting with the studio's best Rotten Tomatoes score in seven years at 96%, the film's creators dropped a few Easter eggs for fans of the wider Pixar universe, specifically where the highly-anticipated Toy Story 5 is concerned. ScreenRant's Ash Crossan spoke to director Daniel Chong, and producer, Nicole Paradis Grindle, who teased what to look out for — and exactly where — viewers can find those Toy Story 5 hints.Daniel Chong: It's a quick shot. So most likely, people won't catch it on first glance, because your eye's not supposed to be there. Calling it a "freeze-frame" or "second watch situation," Grindle and Chong said most viewers will have to go back to catch the subtle nods to the beloved franchise. And there are a few other treats in the frame as well, Grindle teased. Nicole Paradis Grindle: There are a few other things in that room too, on that windowsill, and pinned to her wall. Daniel Chong: We have a couple shots that are just loaded frames of Easter eggs. Nicole Paradis Grindle: Like that board at the end that you've referenced... there are a few other things on there. The Easter eggs are especially exciting, with Toy Story 5 set to release this June. As for what inspired Hoppers, Chong told ScreenRant the idea for the already buzzed-about film came from a group of nature documentaries that place robot animals with cameras in their eyes into wildlife environments, to observe the habitats in real time. Daniel Chong: I mean, the concept came from a funny place. There are these documentaries where they put robot animals into nature, and they have cameras in their eyes, and they look kind of goofy. You kind of laugh when you see them, but the idea there, is that they fit into nature, so that animals can't tell, and you can watch them uninhibited. Ultimately, you just wait for an animal to figure it out and kick 'em over. So we just imagine what if that technology was so good that animals and people couldn't even tell the difference. So that was the starting point. It came from a funny place, and I think that carried through the whole process of making this movie: comedy first. Trying to make it as entertaining and silly as possible, and then you hit 'em with the emotion. And the emotion is definitely there in this animated comedy, which is filled with plenty of surprise moments, including one centering around Mabel, that has elicited different reactions around the globe. Daniel Chong: One of our favorite things, watching the movie with an audience, has been seeing how different crowds react to that moment. It's always a big reaction, but everyone reacts differently. Every audience shifts a little differently. When we went to Mexico, there were at least 30 seconds of nonstop gasps. We went to Germany, and some woman yelled out,"Nein!" really loud. So, every time we watch it with a different crowd, it's a different experience. But it's always fun. Nicole Paradis Grindle: It's definitely a group experience too. I can't imagine what it would be like to watch it by yourself for the first time. I think collectively, people have a different experience of it. Hoppers 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Family Comedy Animation Science Fiction Release Date March 6, 2026 Runtime 105 minutes Director Daniel Chong Cast See All
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