Pixar Hoppers not a Zootopia 2 clone: insiders say it could be a box office hit

After an unprecedented run at the end of 2025 that pushed Zootopia 2 into the global box office top ten with roughly $1.85 billion in ticket sales, Disney and Pixar face a critical moment: launching an original film that shares surprising overlaps with that blockbuster. The next release, Hoppers, arrives into high expectations—and into debate over creative proximity and audience appetite.

At a glance, the worry is obvious: follow a historic hit with a movie that unexpectedly echoes it. But the director of Hoppers, Daniel Chong, downplays any crisis, saying the similarities are manageable and might even help the film find an audience.

Why the timing and overlap matter now

Studios rarely release an original title immediately after a franchise juggernaut unless they’re confident the market can absorb fresh ideas. Zootopia 2’s financial and cultural momentum raises both opportunity and pressure for Hoppers: success could signal room for new stories at Pixar; a stumble would sharpen scrutiny on the studio’s slate strategy.

Crucially, the overlap is specific rather than total. Zootopia 2 introduced a comedic beaver character who became a fan favorite; Hoppers also features a beaver form, but Chong emphasizes the two films approach the concept from different angles—one as an animal-centric city caper, the other as an exploration of how humans and animals relate amid new technology.

That distinction has practical implications for viewers deciding whether to see both movies, and for Disney as it balances franchise momentum with risk-taking on original concepts.

What Hoppers is about

Hoppers follows Mabel, played by Piper Curda, a young protagonist who uses emergent technology to investigate the animal world. The premise: scientists have developed a way to transfer human consciousness into mechanical animal bodies, and Mabel’s investigation leads her to inhabit a beaver form.

The film frames its story as less a pure animal fable and more a study of interspecies relationships shaped by scientific innovation—touching on themes of identity, environmental tension, and how new tech mediates human-animal contact.

• Release context: Hoppers follows Zootopia 2’s late-2025 launch, entering a marketplace still energized by that film’s success.
• Box office backdrop: Zootopia 2 reached about $1.85 billion worldwide, placing it among the highest-grossing films ever.
• Creative overlap: Both films include beaver characters, but Chong says Hoppers treats the motif differently and doesn’t replicate the earlier film’s narrative focus.
• Thematic focus: Hoppers centers on the intersection of technology and ecology—how invention reshapes relationships between humans and animals.
• Audience takeaway: Expect an original story that leans on emotional and ethical questions rather than franchise-driven spectacle.

Chong’s public posture has been pragmatic. He acknowledged learning about the similar animal element in Zootopia 2 and admitted initial concern, but argued the films serve different storytelling purposes. In his view, the attention the earlier hit brings to animal-led narratives could help Hoppers find viewers rather than hurt it.

For audiences, the key question is whether Pixar can translate the goodwill from a major sequel into curiosity for a new, idea-driven picture. For the studio, Hoppers will test how much commercial capital a brand like Pixar can leverage when it branches beyond established franchises.

Either way, the next few months will determine whether original animated features remain a safe bet at the box office or whether studios will favor sequels and known properties even more heavily. For now, Hoppers arrives carrying both the burden and the benefit of its timing—an original story launched in an environment eager for more good films.

Jessica Morrison

Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.