Pixar’s HOPPERS Jumps to $88 Million Opening, Best Debut for an Original Animated Movie Since COCO

Pixar has a new hit on its hands. Hoppers just launched in theaters and immediately made a huge splash at the global box office, pulling in $88 million during its opening weekend.

The strong debut marks a big moment for Pixar and for original animated films in general, proving that audiences are still eager to show up for something new from the popular animation studio.

The impressive start gives Hoppers the biggest opening weekend ever for a Pixar movie and the best launch for an original animated film since Coco back in 2017. That’s no small feat in an era where sequels tend to dominate the animated landscape.

Of course, sequels can still deliver monster numbers. Zootopia 2 recently opened to a massive $556 million globally, but that film had the advantage of being a follow-up to an already beloved franchise.

Hoppers, on the other hand, arrived as a completely new story and still managed to draw huge crowds. It also jumped ahead of 2024’s The Wild Robot, which previously held the title for the strongest debut by a recent original animated film.

Pixar has released several original projects in the years since Coco, including Turning Red, Elio, and Elemental, but Hoppers is clearly connecting with audiences in a bigger way right out of the gate.

The film is directed by Daniel Chong, who spoke about Pixar’s ongoing push to tell new stories instead of leaning only on established franchises. He said:

"I do think Pixar is still investing very hard in original film. They understand that you can't keep making sequels. Originals have to exist. So, I do feel like they're one of the few studios that are really going hard on making more originals, and I'm excited to see what the future for Pixar brings."

That investment appears to be paying off. Critics have also embraced the movie, which debuted with Pixar’s highest Rotten Tomatoes score in nine years. While the score has dipped slightly since its initial release, it’s still sitting at a very strong 94%.

The story centers on Mabel, an animal-loving girl who uses experimental technology to transfer her mind into a robotic beaver so she can communicate with local wildlife and help save their habitat from being destroyed.

The story leans into hilariously absurd comedy and big personality, something Chong fully embraced while developing the film.

"Chaotic, unhinged, we wanted all those things," Chong said.

While Hoppers is celebrating a huge launch, the same can’t be said for every new release this weekend. The Bride!, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, struggled to find an audience.

The reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story opened with just $7 million against an $80 million production budget.

For Pixar though, the takeaway is clear. Audiences are still excited to experience fresh animated worlds on the big screen, and Hoppers is off to an awesome start!