Inside Out 2 has grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated feature of all time. That kind of number would shift some studios firmly into the sequel/franchise business, and while Pixar will certainly cash in in the future — Toy Story 5 arrives in 2026 — the Disney-owned studio remains committed to original storytelling, and with new storytellers outside the core team.
Case in point: At the 2024 D23 Expo, Pixar announced a new film, Hoppers, directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong, set for release in 2026.
According to Pixar, Hoppers tells the story of a girl who transfers her brain into a robot beaver in order to live among real beavers. Avatar but with beavers? The film stars Bobby Moynihan, Piper Curda, and Jon Hamm, who plays a mayor trying to destroy the beavers. Delightful.
Chong, who posted with giddy excitement in the hours before the panel to say he’s “been holding this secret for 4 years,” is no stranger to feature animation. His previous credits include storyboard work on Disney’s Bolt, Pixar’s Cars 2 and Inside Out, and Illumination’s The Lorax. Chong left Pixar to pursue his own projects, creating We Bare Bears and its movie-sized finale for Cartoon Network. Shortly after, the animator moved on from the series to begin work on Hoppers.
Hoppers is set for release in 2026.
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