Pixar’s HOPPERS Director Shares Early 2D Animation Test From the Film’s Development
Pixar’s latest animated adventure Hoppers is off to a great start in theaters, and director Daniel Chong is giving fans a fun peek at how the film first began to take shape.
To celebrate the movie’s boxc office success, Chong shared an early 2D animation test that was created during the project’s early development stages, offering a cool look at the creative experimentation that helped inspire the finished film.
Chong posted the short clip on X while thanking audiences who showed up for the movie’s debut. The animation test, created by Lorenzo Fresta, features two beavers drifting peacefully down a river. It’s a simple moment, but it highlights the early ideas and visual exploration that helped guide the film’s tone and style.
In the post, Chong wrote, “THANK YOU for loving #Hoppers this weekend! To celebrate, here’s a 2D animation test we did back in 2020 for inspiration (by Lorenzo Fresta).”
The test surfaced as Hoppers made a strong entrance at the box office. The Pixar film opened in the number one spot in North America with $46 million across roughly 4,000 theaters during its first weekend. International audiences also turned out in big numbers, adding another $42 million for a global opening total of $88 million.
Directed by Chong and written by Jesse Andrews, the story centers on Mabel Tanaka, a 19-year-old animal lover who gets access to groundbreaking technology that lets human consciousness transfer into robotic animals. Mabel uses the tech to enter the body of a robotic beaver, allowing her to communicate with wildlife as she works to protect their natural habitat.
The film features a strong voice cast led by Piper Curda as Mabel Tanaka, Bobby Moynihan as King George, Jon Hamm as Jerry Generazzo, Kathy Najimy as Dr. Samantha Fairfax, and Dave Franco as Titus.
Critics and audiences seem to be loving what Pixar delivered. On Rotten Tomatoes, Hoppers currently holds a 94% score from critics along with a matching 94 percent audience rating, which is a great sign for the movie’s theatrical run.
Seeing this early 2D animation test is a fun reminder of how these massive Pixar productions begin with small creative experiments. it’s a neat glimpse into the artistic process that helped bring this story to life.