With a big $46-million opening for 'Hoppers,' Disney and Pixar see a return to form

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Walt Disney Co.and Pixar’s “Hoppers” took the box office crown this weekend in an encouraging sign for the company’s original animated films.The film generated $46 million in ticket sales in the U.S.

and Canada, marking the highest domestic opening for an original animated movie since 2017’s “Coco,” according to studio estimates.The global box office total for “Hoppers” was $88 million.The zany movie features a young environmental advocate who “hops” her consciousness into a robotic beaver and bands together with other woodland creatures to stop a planned freeway expansion through a glade.The film is directed by Daniel Chong, who created the Cartoon Network animated series “We Bare Bears.”The muscular debut for “Hoppers,” as well as the strong performance from Sony Pictures Animation’s “Goat” last month, has been a positive sign for audience interest in original animated films.Since the pandemic, theatrical returns for animated sequels have far surpassed that of original films.

Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” for instance, has grossed more than $1.8 billion in global box office revenue, with more than $426 million domestically.Disney and Pixar’s 2024 hit “Inside Out 2” also crossed more than $1.6 billion globally.By contrast, Disney and Pixar’s 2025 original film “Elio” brought in about $154 million in worldwide box office revenue.

Original films are vital to Pixar’s future, as the Emeryville, Calif.-based studio built its reputation on its string of nearly uninterrupted original blockbuster hits, including 1995’s “Toy Story” and 2004’s “The Incredibles.”Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream 7” came in second at the box office with $17.3 million in its second weekend in theaters.Warner Bros.

Pictures’ “The Bride!,” Sony’s “Goat” and Warner Bros.’ “Wuthering Heights” rounded out...