A scene from “Hoppers.”
Pixar
Pixar’s animated comedy “Hoppers” is coming to digital streaming this week as the company continues to recover from the release of the movie bust Elio.
Rated PG, Hoppers was released in theaters nationwide on March 6. The film follows Mabel (voice of Piper Curda), an animal-loving college student who, in a scientific experiment, finds a way to “hop” her consciousness into a realistic-looking robotic beaver so she can communicate with all creatures great and small. Mabel’s mind-hop isn’t to just make a social visit; she’s trying to protect their beautiful environment from human destruction.
Directed by Daniel Chong, Hoppers also stars the voices of Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy, Ego Nwodim, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Vanessa Bayer and Sam Richardson.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced on Thursday (via When to Stream) that Hoppers will be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, April 28. The film will be available for purchase on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube Movies & TV for $29.99.
Since PVOD rentals are typically $5 less than purchase prices, viewers should be able to rent Hoppers for $24.99 for a 48-hour period.
‘Hoppers’ Is Taking A Big Step In The Right Direction After ‘Elio’ Bombed In Theaters
Hoppers, which is nearing the end of its theatrical run, has earned $162.6 million in North American ticket sales and nearly $206.4 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $369.1 million. Hoppers had a production budget of $150 million before marketing costs, according to the Los Angeles Times.
While Hoppers’ global tally doesn’t come close to approaching the blockbuster success of Pixar’s Inside Out 2 — which scored nearly $1.7 billion worldwide theatrically to make it the most profitable film of 2024 — the animation studio is definitely in a rebound from the disastrous release of its animated coming-of-age space adventure Elio in 2025.
While Hoppers scored an impressive $45.3 million domestically in its opening frame March 6-8, Elio — which launched as a summer movie season title on June 20, 2025 — barely attained liftoff in its opening weekend. Earning $20.8 million in its first frame domestically, Elio flopped with the worst opening weekend ever for a Pixar movie.
By the time Elio hobbled to the end of its box office run, the film earned $72.9 million from North American theaters and $81.3 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $154.9 million.
Most media outlets reported that Elio had a production budget of $150 million, although the LA Times noted that the production cost was anywhere between $150 million and $200 million before marketing. Elio’s only saving grace came earlier this year with a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination.
After all the tumult brought about by Elio, Pixar appears to be back on the right path with the pending release of Hoppers on PVOD on Tuesday — a release that is coming less than two months before the return of the animation giant’s flagship franchise with the fifth installment of Toy Story on June 19.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2026/04/25/hoppers-arrives-on-streaming-this-week-as-pixar-rebounds-from-rough-2025/
