Some comparisons are telling! And the least we can say is that hearing Pete Docter compare this upcoming Pixar film to James Cameron's behemoth Avatar is definitely making us want to see it!
Is Pixar following in Avatar's footsteps?
Since the pandemic that hit the world at the beginning of the decade and the launch of Disney+, the Pixar studio has been undergoing a major transformation. At the height of its success, The Walt Disney Company's decision to pull the Soul, Luca, and Red Alert films from theaters seriously damaged the studio's finances, forcing it to lay off several employees. The parent company also forced the studio with the desk lamp to reconsider its strategy by producing more sequels. While three sequels have already been announced (Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, Coco 2), Pixar isn't abandoning the original films. Next week, fans of the studio will be able to discover Domee Shi and Adrian Molina's Elio; In March 2026, it will be the turn of the film Hoppers to be released, just three months before Toy Story 5; Finally, Pete Docter - Pixar's artistic director - took advantage of the panel organized at the Annecy Festival to announce the release in summer 2027 of the film Gatto, a feature film telling the adventures of a black cat in Venice, directed by Enrico Casarosa (Luca) with an animation style that contrasts with the aesthetic to which Pixar had accustomed us until now.
During the Annecy Festival, Pete Docter also unveiled the first images of Toy Story as well as the main antagonist of the sequel to the adventures of Woody and Buzz. Finally, the feature film Hoppers was also presented with more details to the public, who were able to discover the first official image of the film. Hoppers will tell the story of a young girl who infiltrates the animal world to study it by transferring her mind into a robot beaver. A pitch that earned it a prestigious comparison from Pete Docter, to say the least:
Here's what happens: it's a bit like Avatar meets Mission: Impossible and the documentary Planet Earth. It's an action adventure, a comedy, a spy thriller where humor, emotion, and adventure leap off the screen in surprising ways. It's an exuberant film that appeals to a wide audience, full of twists and turns, big laughs, and a multitude of great characters.
While Hoppers is not expected to revolutionize entertainment cinema as profoundly as Avatar in 2009 - although Pixar has continued to perfect computer animation with each film since Toy Story-, the film should take up the principle by exploring nature through a human who transfers her mind into another body. Either way, we can't wait to find out.
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