“Hoppers” Sneak Peek on Disney+ – Can Original Animated Movies Still Make Money in a World of Sequels?
Disney and Pixar’s newest animated movie, “Hoppers,” comes to theaters in March, meaning that it is just around the corner. Disney has been promoting the movie with various fun trailers, including some hilarious Winter Olympic-themed ads. Now, if you have Disney+, you can watch a short sneak peek of the movie.
The “Hoppers” Sneak Peek on Disney+
The new “Hoppers” sneak peek can be found on Disney+, so you will need a Disney+ membership in order to watch it. The sneak peek begins much like the first “Hoppers” trailer did, with the lead character Mabel discovering what some university scientists have been up to. The scientists are creating robotic animals, and they’re using advanced machines to transfer their consciousness into the animals so that they can observe the natural world.
Mabel, of course, is quick to point out how similar this is to James Cameron’s “Avatar” movies, but as we’ve seen in lots of promotional material by now, one of the scientists insists that, “This is nothing like ‘Avatar’!” Mabel sneaks into the machine, transferring her consciousness into a robotic beaver. When she wakes up as a beaver, the atmosphere is silent and still as she looks around at the wilderness that surrounds her.
Of course, then the animals start talking to her, which she finds thrilling, but she has trouble finding a beaver. Finally, a spider tells her to check the stream, helpfully showing her the way by weaving an arrow into her web. Some people will undoubtedly start thinking of “Charlotte’s Web” here, and it’s cool that Pixar is referencing a classic book like that.
Mabel finally finds a beaver, but then a bear attacks him. When Mabel saves the beaver, both the bear and the beaver are stunned, since after all, bears have to eat too. It turns out that Mabel has also violated “pond rules” by saving the beaver. It’s a hilarious moment, and it’s also surprisingly dark for Pixar. “Hoppers” won’t shy away from the reality of how animals eat each other. The animals bring Mabel to the beavers’ king, who gives her an overview of the “pond rules,” where all animals are friendly to each other, but they also eat each other.
Does the Sneak Peek Build Excitement for “Hoppers”?
While the Disney+ sneak peek is fun, it largely shows things that we’ve already seen. We know from previous trailers about how Mabel will transfer her consciousness to a robot beaver and learn how animals interact. Previous trailers also revealed the movie’s dark sense of humor with Mabel getting into trouble for saving the beaver’s life. Of course, the sneak peek showed some things we haven’t seen before, such as Mabel’s first reaction to the wilderness, but it didn’t reveal any new plot details.
As such, if you weren’t already interested in “Hoppers,” the sneak peek isn’t likely to change your mind. After Pixar’s last film, “Elio,” disappointed at the box office last year, Pixar needs a hit. Their recent non-sequel movies haven’t been very successful in stimulating the audience’s excitement. Even though audiences frequently complain about Disney and Pixar releasing too many sequels and not enough original movies, they tend to ignore the original movies that do come out.
When Does “Hoppers” Come Out?
“Hoppers” comes to theaters on March 6th. With “Toy Story 5” taking the more lucrative summer release date and original movies being a hard sell over sequels, this movie might struggle to sell tickets. However, the movie looks funny and charming, though it certainly doesn’t look like it will live up to Pixar’s most acclaimed films. Here’s hoping that people will buy tickets to “Hoppers” and send the message that yes, original movies can still make money.
