Get a First Look at Pixar's Upcoming Body-Swapping Adventure 'Hoppers'

Disney made some big announcements at its annual D23 event on Aug. 9. Among them, that there’s a new Pixar film in the works called Hoppers.

Pixar has already been generating excitement with the upcoming release of sequels including Incredibles 3 and Toy Story 5. The animation studio put out Inside Out 2 to incredible success earlier this year, and is premiering an original film entitled Elio in 2025. But Hoppers seems to be their next big original project in the works.

So what’s Hoppers about and when can fans expect it? Here’s everything we know about the newest Pixar project.

What is the release date for Hoppers?

Some details on Hoppers are still fuzzy, but we do have a release date. According to Pixar, Hoppers will hit theaters in spring 2026. More specifically, it’s slated for March 6, 2026, as reported by Variety.

What is Pixar's Hoppers about?

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The official Pixar webpage for Hoppers sets the theme for the film: “What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying?”

In the Hoppers world, scientists have figured out how to “hop” human consciousness into robot animals – who are then able to talk to real animals. The main character, Mabel, is an animal lover who uses this new tech to dive into the world of animals and discover what she’s been missing.

The D23 presentation included a short clip from Hoppers which shows that Mabel’s consciousness is placed in the body of a beaver. We also learned that she apparently befriends another beaver named King George, and will face a (human) antagonist named Mayor Jerry.

Related: Pixar Teases the Plot of 'Toy Story 5'

Who is in the Hoppers cast?

So far, only three voice actors have been revealed as part of the Hoppers cast.

Piper Curda as Mabel

Piper Curda will voice the protagonist Mabel, who seemingly switches brains with a beaver at the beginning of the movie.

Curda has worked with Disney before, starring in the 2011 Disney show Rule the Mix. She also starred in the Disney series I Didn’t Do It (2014-15) and has appeared in lesser roles in a number of Disney shows, including A.N.T. Farm, Liv and Maddie and Raven’s Home. More recently, she appeared in the Netflix movie May December.

Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry

Jon Hamm will feature as the film’s villain – a human named Mayor Jerry who is trying to destroy the beavers.

Although Hamm is best known for his work in Mad Men and has been on screen in many other shows and movies, he’s no stranger to voice acting. He voiced Herb Overkill in Minions (2015), Brogan in Shrek Forever After (2010) and Marvin Flute in the Fox sitcom Grimsburg (2024-).

Hamm told People in January 2024, “[...] I just always, whenever I'm asked to do a voice, I just imitate Will Arnett.” Hamm added, “He's been working in the voiceover and animation world forever, and I love how his voice sounds, and I probably owe him royalties at this point, but he's the number one guy for me. I think his voice is just super resonant.”

Related: From Toy Story to Finding Dory, We Ranked Every Pixar Movie Ever Released

Bobby Moynihan as King George

Bobby Moynihan is perhaps the most prolific voice actor of the announced cast. He worked with director Daniel Chong on We Bare Bears (2014-2019) and has given his voice to a lot of kids’ media, including Monster University (2013), Inside Out (2015), Inside Out 2 (2024), The Secret Life of Pets (2016), IF (2024), LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024) and others.

In Hoppers, Moynihan lends his voice as the beaver King George, who Mabel comes to know and communicate with after she’s switched into the body of a beaver.

Related: To Infinity and Beyond! Every Character in the Toy Story Franchise

Who is the director of Hoppers?

Hoppers is written and directed by Daniel Chong, the creator of popular kids’ show We Bare Bears.

Chong has also worked on Disney’s Bolt (2008) and Pixar’s Cars 2 (2011) and Inside Out (2015). He reportedly left Pixar to make We Bare Bears for Cartoon Network, but has since returned for this new project.

On Aug. 7, right before D23, Chong tweeted that he’s “been holding this secret for four years” – signifying that Hoppers has been in the works since 2020.

Is there a Hoppers trailer?

Since we’re still pretty far out from the Hoppers release date, it’s not surprising that there isn’t a trailer out yet.

Pixar showed a short clip at D23, of two scientists switching the brain of a human girl (Mabel) with a robot beaver. But other than that and the promotional art, which has been posted by Pixar, fans likely won’t know more until closer to release.

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How to watch Hoppers

Hoppers won’t be available to watch until its release on March 6, 2026. Fans can see it on release day in theaters, and it may take several months after that before it hits the streaming platform Disney+.

Inside Out 2, a recent hit for Pixar which premiered in June 2024, was scheduled for about 100 days in theaters before it became available on streaming. This length of theater run is rare in this day and age, with the average movie showing for about 40 days.

It’s unclear exactly how long Hoppers will play in theaters before transitioning to Disney+, but it may not take as long as Inside Out 2, considering that was a very highly anticipated sequel.

Next, We Ranked All the 'Toy Story' Films — Do You Agree With Our Picks?