Pixar's 'Hoppers' Lands Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Pixar's latest animated feature, Hoppers, has debuted to exceptional critical acclaim, securing a 97 percent score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. This places it among the studio's highest-rated films in recent years, matching the score achieved by Coco in 2017. The film is scheduled for release in theaters on March 6, 2026.
Plot and Cast Details
The original story follows 19-year-old environmentalist Mabel, who magically "hops" into the mind of a beaver. She then assists a colony in saving their habitat, a narrative that has drawn comparisons to James Cameron's Avatar. The voice cast includes notable actors such as Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, Jon Hamm, and Meryl Streep, adding star power to the production.
Historical Context and Studio Strategy
While the score may adjust as more reviews are submitted, it currently represents Pixar's best rating in nearly a decade. For context, the first two Toy Story films hold perfect 100 percent ratings, while classics like Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, and Up all scored 98 percent. Hoppers is the first of two Pixar releases this year, with Toy Story 5 set to follow in June.
In recent years, Pixar has balanced original projects like Luca, Elemental, and Elio with sequels and spin-offs such as Lightyear and Inside Out 2. The studio has already announced another original film, Gatto, for 2027, and is reportedly developing sequels including Incredibles 3 and Coco 2.
Critical Reception and Industry Impact
The Independent critic Clarisse Loughrey awarded the film four stars, praising its unique approach despite the Avatar comparisons. She noted, "It'd be uncharitable to call Hoppers derivative, when it's otherwise odd and spiky enough to carve out its own niche." Loughrey also highlighted the influence of anime on Western animation, describing the creatures as leaping "like they've just been electrocuted" and commending the advanced animation techniques that surpass earlier works like Monsters Inc.
Pixar's Legacy and Background
Founded in 1979 as the computer animation division of Lucasfilm, Pixar originally operated as Graphics Group before rebranding in 1986. That same year, it became an independent company with backing from Apple founder Steve Jobs. The studio revolutionized animation with Toy Story in 1995, the first fully computer-animated feature film. Disney, which distributed the film, later acquired Pixar outright in 2006, solidifying its place in cinematic history.
