Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Pixar

  • Disney Sets Streaming Date for Pixar Hit ‘Hoppers’

    Disney Sets Streaming Date for Pixar Hit ‘Hoppers’

    Per an official press release, Pixar’s Hoppers will be available to stream on D+ beginning June 3rd.

    Experience the wonderful and wild animal world that exists in your own backyard – from the comfort of home – when Disney and Pixar’s outrageously original, adventure-packed comedy Hoppers premieres June 3 on Disney+.

    The wildly imaginative animated adventure follows animal lover Mabel as she uses a groundbreaking technology to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver, uncovering a hidden animal world shaped by its own rules.

    Alongside charismatic beaver King George and an unforgettable community of local wildlife, Mabel embarks on an action-packed mission that invites audiences to experience nature like never before.

    Certified Fresh™ and Verified Hot by Rotten Tomatoes®, Hoppers features Pixar’s signature blend of inventive humor, heartfelt storytelling and surprising discoveries, delivering a viewing experience that the entire family can enjoy together again and again. 

    Hoppers is directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, p.g.a., with an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh and a screenplay by Jesse Andrews.

     

    Pixar’s thirtieth feature film didn’t just break the studio’s recent original box office curse when it landed on March 6, 2026; it practically vaulted over it. Hoppers signaled strong audience favorability right out of the gate, capitalizing on excellent critical reviews (sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a coveted “A” CinemaScore.

    (L-R) Dr. Sam and Nisha in Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    In this animated comedy adventure, animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she makes amazing discoveries, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent, human threat.

    -Official synopsis for Hoppers

    The Key Numbers

    • Worldwide Gross: $386.4 Million
    • ​Domestic Gross: $165.9 Million (42.9% share)
    • ​International Gross: $220.5 Million (57.1% share)
    • Production Budget: $150 Million

     

    Against its standard $150 million Pixar production budget, Hoppers pulled in roughly 2.6 times its cost globally. While it faced a massive competitive wall in its fifth week against The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the film’s steady international performance—particularly across Europe and Latin America—guaranteed it a highly profitable theatrical lifetime before making the jump to digital PVOD.

  • Disney Sets 2028 Release Dates for ‘Incredibles 3’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch 2’

    Disney Sets 2028 Release Dates for ‘Incredibles 3’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch 2’

    Disney is officially staking its claim on 2028. The House of Mouse has locked in two massive sequels for the same summer window, ensuring that the sequel-heavy strategy is here to stay.

    While we’ve known these projects were in the pipeline since the D23 announcements last year, we now have a much clearer picture of when the Parr family and Experiment 626 will be returning to theaters just three weeks apart.

    The live-action side of the studio is moving fast on a follow-up to last year’s massive hit. Lilo & Stitch 2 May 26, 2028.

    The studio’s live-action Lilo & Stitch became the highest-grossing live-action/animated hybrid in history last summer, crossing the $1 billion mark. Rumors suggest the film will move away from the  Stitch Has a Glitch plot to introduce a wider array of Jumba’s experiments—including fan-favorites like Angel (624) and Reuben (625).

    Pixar’s Incredibles 3 has officially landed a prime summer slot: June 18, 2028.

    Peter Sohn (Elemental) is taking over the director’s chair, while original mastermind Brad Bird remains involved as an executive producer and writer to keep the DNA of the first two films intact.

  • Pixar Leans Into ‘Monsters Inc. 3,’ ‘Incredibles 3’ and ‘Coco 2’ to Secure its Future

    Pixar Leans Into ‘Monsters Inc. 3,’ ‘Incredibles 3’ and ‘Coco 2’ to Secure its Future

    If you feel a sense of déjà vu coming from Emeryville, you aren’t alone. As Pixar’s newest original effort, Hoppers, hops into theaters today, a massive deep dive from the Wall Street Journal has effectively laid out the studio’s roadmap for the next decade. And spoiler alert: It’s very, very familiar.

    The report confirms that coming off of the massive success of Zootopia 2, Pixar will indeed continue to lean into reliability via franchise, officially moving Monsters Inc. 3, Incredibles 3, and Coco 2 into active development.

    Return to Monstropolis

    The headliner here is undoubtedly Monsters Inc. 3. While we’ve had the Monsters at Work series on Disney+ and the Monsters University prequel, we haven’t had a direct theatrical sequel to the 2001 original, which remains a beloved Pixar classic.

    The project is in the early stages, but the timing makes sense. Disney is currently building a massive Monstropolis-themed land at Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Developing a third film ensures the IP remains fresh for a new generation of park-goers. Whether Billy Crystal and John Goodman return is the $200 million question, but given their history with the roles, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the booth.

    The Incredibles & Coco Expansion

    The WSJ report also provided updates on two other heavy hitters:

    • The Incredibles 3: Following the announcement at D23 2024, the film has officially found its release window—reportedly targeting 2028. In a massive shakeup, Peter Sohn (Elemental) is rumored to be taking the director’s chair, with original architect Brad Bird potentially moving into a producer/consultant role.
    • Coco 2: This is the real surprise. Despite the original being a perfect standalone story, Pixar is reportedly aiming for a 2029 release for a sequel.

    The Original Front: Musical Felines and Ghost Markets

    It’s not all sequels, though. Pixar is still trying to find the “next big thing” with two new original announcements:

    • Untitled Musical: Turning Red director Domee Shi is officially helming Pixar’s first-ever full-blown musical.
    • Ono Ghost Market: A film inspired by Asian myths about a supernatural bazaar where the living and the dead interact. This is works as a vibe check for the studio as they try to balance high-concept originals with safe sequels.

    This is the Iger Era in a nutshell. After a few years of original films struggling to find theatrical footprints, the mandate is clear: give the people what they know. While the purists might groan at Coco 2, the box office reality is that sequels like Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have become the lifeblood of Disney Animation. Pixar is simply following in those footsteps and following the money.

    Source: Wall Street Journal

  • Disney Announces Development on ‘Coco 2’, Sets 2029 Release Date

    A dozen years after Disney and Pixar’s Coco won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the the team behind the original film, including Oscar®-winning director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina are reunitimg for another trip to the Land of the Dead.

    During Disney’s annual shareholder meeting, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger announced development on a sequel to the 2017 animated feature that took in more than $800 million at the global box office and won a pair of Academy Awards.

    While the film is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure. And we can’t wait to share more soon.

    -Bob Iger

    Per Disney:

    Disney and Pixar’s Coco introduced Miguel, a 12-year-old with dreams of becoming a musician despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, who ventures to the vibrant Land of the Dead to unlock the real story behind his family history. Coco won two Academy Awards for best animated feature and best original song (“Remember Me”). The film also won a Golden Globe® for best motion picture–animated, a BAFTA for best animated film, and critics’ choice awards for best animated feature and best song (“Remember Me”).

    Source: Walt Disney Studios Global Publicity



  • D23: Pixar Announces ‘Incredibles 3’

    D23: Pixar Announces ‘Incredibles 3’

    With the 20th anniversary of Incredibles just around the corner, Pixar announced a third film in the franchise, Incredibles 3, is “officially in the works.”

    While no release date was provided, Brad Bird–who directed the first two films in the franchise–is back for the threequel.

    Updating…

  • Disney CEO Claims Pixar Had “Some Creative Misses” and Reflects on Disney+ Impact

    Disney CEO Claims Pixar Had “Some Creative Misses” and Reflects on Disney+ Impact

    It’s been a wacky day. SAG is officially entering a strike alongside the WGA while Bob Iger seemingly decides to shift the blame to a cracking industry on the people desperately keeping it alive. With millions to spare, he seemingly decides to take some wild swings in a recent interview by not only blaming the current situation on those trying to survive but even hitting into his own company.

    Disney isn’t perfect and has had some rough patches throughout the years, but they have developed two golden geese: Pixar and Marvel. They had the kind of bankability any franchise still dreams of, especially direct rivals like DC. Yet, the last few years have been rough on the industry and they made some big steps to grow their streaming business.

    Now that the pandemic is seemingly done and behind us, they are back peddling their original plan and trying to become theatrical giants once more. While they proved to still be the most consistent up until now, Bob Iger decides to downplay Pixar’s creative output as “creative misses” while knowingly highlighting that their streaming releases of these iconic films slowed down their box office prowess.

    There were three Pixar releases in a row that went direct to streaming, in part because of — mostly because of COVID. And I think that may have created an expectation in the audience that they’re going to eventually be on streaming and probably quickly, and there wasn’t an urgency. And then I think there was some, I think you’d have to agree that there were some creative misses, as well.

    Bob Iger

    While he seemingly ignores this part when discussing their Marvel releases, it’s bizarre to see him downplay the value of projects like Luca, Turning Red, and even Elemental. We don’t know what projects he’s talking about specifically, but it sounds a lot like a justification for why they went to streaming only with their projects. It almost feels like a way to save face without doing so. It’s a darn shame that this is how the hard-working animators are treated by their own studio head after being a strong part of its legacy for years.

    Source: Variety

  • Director Peter Sohn on the Technical Challenges of Creating the Main Characters of ‘Elemental’

    Director Peter Sohn on the Technical Challenges of Creating the Main Characters of ‘Elemental’

    Disney and Pixar groundbreaking work in animation will once again be on display in Elemental. Beginning with 1995’s Toy Story, the animators at Pixar have been innovators and problem solvers as they continue to create visually stunning films. Their 27th film, Elemental, is no different as the creators laid out a huge challenge for the animators: bring fire and water to life to create the film’s two main characters, Ember and Wade. The animators were asked to keep in mind that while they were working with something recognizable, they were also creating something that had never been seen before: “Ember is fire, she is not on fire. Wade is water. He’s not something that’s wet.”

    Director Peter Sohn envisioned the characters and dreamt up the world they’d inhabit. At the global press junket for the upcoming film, Sohn explained some of the challenges the artists faced while trying to create characters who looked, behaved and reacted to situations in ways that are consistent with how fire and water would.

    The main challenge of fire honestly was, could we get something balanced that could be appealing and still exploit the element? That was the main challenge. We had tried fire that was really realistic, I know you guys saw a part of the presentation. That was just a tip of the
    iceberg of the reference, meaning we tried real, like realistic eyes. We tried, you know, we tried all sorts of things and they looked terrifying. I wish you could see more of it. We could make a good horror movie from that footage, honestly. But then there were 2D versions of Ember that were much more flatter.

    Peter Sohn
    ELEMENTAL, Disney and Pixar’s all-new, original feature film releasing June 16, 2023, features the voices of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie as Ember and Wade, respectively. In a city where fire-, water-, land-, and air-residents live together, this fiery young woman and go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common. “Elemental” is directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    As you might imagine, a task of this magnitude, even for some of the world’s greatest animators, wasn’t done in a day. As Sohn explained, it took time for the artists to find the right “balance” for the character of Ember.

    And every time we saw the movements, you didn’t feel like it could touch anything or burn anything or it didn’t feel hot, you know, like where it was emanating, you know, the heat. But some of our artists found this balance between the two that I’m very proud of what they had
    accomplished to get to that, absolutely. That was a really hard challenge and I thought they found a great balance.

    Peter Sohn

    As tough as Ember was, it turns out Wade was even tougher. “He was just so unmanageable and he looked so weird all the time,” explained Sohn. “I just kept pushing the water, and I went over the line just ’cause I couldn’t see, but the way he moved played into that. He so easily could turn into Jell-O just by slowing some of the ripples down a little bit, or how fast he could turn into a ‘Soul’ character if the ripples didn’t appear. There were just so many avenues that he could shift into very quickly and that would surprise all of us.”

    Ultimately, as production designer Don Shank–whose work with Pixar dates back to 2004’s Incredibles–explained, the animators’ “design ideas inspired new technology, which inspired new design” creating one of Pixar’s most beautiful films to date. You can check out the fantastic work done by the artists at Pixar when Elemental hits theaters June 16th.

  • What to Expect TODAY from Disney’s CCXP ’22 Panel

    What to Expect TODAY from Disney’s CCXP ’22 Panel

    This afternoon at 2:30 PM ET, Disney will begin a 3-hour and 20-minute long panel at CCXP ’22 in Brazil where it is expected to show off a significant amount of its 2023 slate from across its major brands. 20th Century Studios, Disney, Disney Animation, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and Pixar are all expected to have a presence during the panel. Here’s an idea of what to expect.

    20th Century Studios

    The only question here is if Fox will show off anything other than Avatar: The Way of Water. The film is just 2 weeks away from release and press screenings begin early next week. Star Zoë Saldaña and producer Jon Landau are scheduled to be at the event and are likely to show off some footage from the film.

    Disney

    Image from Collider.com

    Thanks to Collider, we know that Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid will be front and center during their portion of the studio’s portion of the panel. The film, headed to theaters on May 26, 2023, stars Halle Bailey as Ariel and looked to be a visual spectacle when a teaser trailer of it was shown at D23. Given the May release, it’s possible a new trailer might be unveiled at CCXP.

    Disney Animation

    As of publication, not much about the animation panel has trickled out. It’s possible, however, that the animation studio might show off the upcoming Disney Plus film, Iwájú, and its next theatrical release, Wish.

    Lucasfilm

    It looks like Lucasfilm will be showing off at least 3 projects from its slate: Willow, which just launched this week on Disney Plus, The Mandalorian Season 3 and Indiana Jones 5. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are set to join the panel virtually and discuss Mando S3, which is reportedly streaming in February. A trailer for the third season was unveiled about 2 months ago, so it’s possible a new trailer, complete with an expected release date, might emerge from CCXP. As exciting as that will be, expect Indy 5 to take up a big chunk of Lucasfilm’s time. A trailer for the new film, complete with the title, has been cut and is waiting to roll out. Is today the day?

    Marvel Studios

    Kevin Feige does not do panels unless he can bring something special to the mix. He’ll be on stage in Brazil and will be joined by Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Jonathan Majors, whose Kang the Conqueror, a major piece of the Multiverse Saga plans, will be introduced in the film. The film comes out in just over two months on February 17, 2023, and a new trailer for it was just screened at an event in Singapore. Feige is bringing it with him and the only question is whether or not it’ll leave the screens at CCXP or be exclusive to the event. It’s very likely it’ll be playing in front of Avatar: The Way of Water, so even if it doesn’t get into the wild today, we’ll all see it soon.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will also get some attention at the panel, especially with Saldaña already in Brazil. Like Quantumania, new footage of it was shown in Singapore, so a trailer or some footage will be shown. The public has yet to see anything from the film, which is now just 6 months away from its May 5, 2023 release. While Marvel’s marketing window has been shorter recently, the same logic from above applies: they probably want this trailer in theaters with Avatar: The Way of Water.

    Loki Season 2 was also part of the panel in Singpore and the footage shown there featured Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Fortunately, Majors is already there, so expect him to give an update on Loki and perhaps introduce a new trailer. The series comes out after Quantumania, sometime in the Summer of 2023, so its unlikely an exact release date will be given.

    Marvel Studios is also likely to at least talk about Secret Invasion and The Marvels, both of which are set for 2023 releases. At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that any major new announcements should be expected but rather just a showcase of 2023’s projects.

    Pixar

    Pixar will absolutely be showing off Elemental, the Peter Sohn-helmed film which is slated for a June 16, 2023 release. Here’s the official synopsis from Disney.com:

    Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” is an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.

    Of course, there could always be surprises rolled out during such a long panel and Murphy’s Multiverse will be doing out best to share everything with you as it happens!

  • Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    The wave of Disney pushing back release dates for theatrical projects continues even with the gradual decline of the pandemic. It has officially been revealed that multiple projects are moving around from their initially announced release dates. 

    Most notably, the untitled Marvel Studios film initially scheduled to release on February 16, 2024, has moved back a few months into September 6, 2024. It has yet to be revealed what film would’ve filled this date (especially with the other later releasing 2024 films being revealed earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con), but it has been speculated by some that this would’ve been the date for the Deadpool sequel film in development and apparently nearing the start of production. As well, Haunted Mansion will be moving up from its scheduled August 11, 2023 release to March 10, 2023.

    In addition, Disney has revealed the following release dates for various notable upcoming films in 2024:

    • Pixar’s Elio – March 1, 2024
    • The Rachel Zegler-led Snow White – March 22, 2024
    • Pixar’s Inside Out 2 – June 14, 2024
    • Barry Jenkins’ prequel Mufasa: The Lion King – July 5, 2024

    One point of concern in all these moves comes with the removal of Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron from Disney’s release schedule. The film had previously been earmarked for a December 22, 2023 release, but essentially no updates have been made for the film in an extended period of time. This certainly doesn’t mean that the film is canceled, but it serves as an indicator that the highly anticipated film in the Star Wars franchise is much further away than Lucasfilm had initially planned for.

    Source: Twitter.

  • D23: ‘Inside Out’ Sequel Confirmed, Kelsey Mann to Direct

    D23: ‘Inside Out’ Sequel Confirmed, Kelsey Mann to Direct

    Well, it looks like the rumors were true, as the sequel to Pixar’s iconic Inside Out has been announced to finish off the animation studios’ segment during the big Disney panel. They have confirmed that Kelsey Mann will direct the sequel. It’ll be written by Meg LeFauve. There was no word on the rumor surrounding some cast members not returning for the sequel with only Amy Poehler confirmed, but it is eyeing a Summer 2024 and will have some new emotions. We will return with Riley as we explore her time as a teenager.

    Source: Twitter