Pixar’s new animated movie Hoppers has received its first Rotten Tomatoes score ahead of its theatrical release on March 6, 2026, in the United States. Early critiques suggest the studio is returning to strong form after several recent films premiered with mixed to negative reactions. As of now, Hoppers stands among highly rated Pixar titles and is being compared to past Pixar successes.
“It shouldn’t all hang together as well as it does, but the movie’s freewheeling plotting is exhilarating, even more so when a frantic chase accelerates the action,” The Hollywood Reporter said.
According to early reviews, Hoppers ranks alongside films such as Toy Story 4 and Monsters Inc. The film is only surpassed by Coco, Inside Out, Toy Story 3, Up, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Toy Story 2, which have become classics for the studio. However, some argue Pixar never truly declined, as more recent projects like Elio, Inside Out 2, and Elemental also received positive reviews. Still, the new score positions Hoppers among the studio’s strongest movies to date.
“Don’t call it a comeback — but this is really strong stuff from Pixar: funny, thoughtful, sweet, making for a heartfelt paean to nature, and beavers in particular. Dam good,” Empire noted about the film.
“‘Hoppers’ never stops surprising you in rudely antic ways, and that’s the essence of its delight,” Variety stated.
The film follows Mabel, voiced by Piper Curda, who uses new technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals. She joins forces with King George, voiced by Bobby Moynihan, to confront a human threat led by Mayor Jerry Generazzo, voiced by Jon Hamm. The cast also includes Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, and Kathy Najimy. The movie is directed by Daniel Chong.
