Pixar's animated comedy 'Hoppers' kicked off its box office run with $3.2 million from Thursday previews, signaling a strong $35-40 million opening weekend from 4,000 theaters on March 6. The performance follows the film's positive early reviews for its inventive environmental tale.
Following acclaim in early reviews for its blend of sci-fi, comedy, and habitat protection themes—detailed in prior coverage—Pixar's 'Hoppers' generated $3.2 million in Thursday previews, including $1 million from early Saturday shows. The $150 million production is poised to top the weekend box office.
This outperforms Pixar's 2020 'Onward' ($2.7 million previews, $39.1 million opening) and trails 2024's 'Kung Fu Panda 4' ($3.8 million previews, $58 million opening) slightly, but positions 'Hoppers' strongly among animated family films.
Directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, the film features voices led by Piper Curda as Mabel Tanaka, Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry Generazzo, and Bobby Moynihan as King George, with an ensemble including Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy, and others. Original score by Mark Mothersbaugh.
Note: Voice actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Bird King) passed away in December 2025 at age 71. The German dub features Heidi Klum as Diane (pun: Hai-Di).
