Disney Pixar Scraps Title Just Weeks Before Expected Release

Disney and Pixar have scrapped the title with just over a month to go.

In 2024, The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios returned to form with the billion-dollar Inside Out 2. Last year, the studios had much less success with Elio (2025). Now, Disney and Pixar will bring another original movie out in just over one month.

Pixar is once again leaning into bold, high-concept storytelling with Hoppers, an original animated feature from the award-winning studios. Set to arrive exclusively in theaters on March 6, 2026, the film marks the feature directorial debut of We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong and centers on a premise that is peak Pixar weird: what if humans could temporarily transfer their consciousness into robotic animals in order to experience the natural world from the inside?

That’s the central hook of Hoppers, which seemingly blends sci-fi, comedy, and environmental themes into a story that’s set to be, at least per the trailer, equal parts chaotic and thoughtful.

At the center of the story is Mabel, a 19-year-old college student and devoted animal lover who eagerly volunteers to test the groundbreaking “hopping” technology. Her consciousness is placed into a robotic beaver, dropping her straight into the middle of a fully realized animal society that operates by rules far removed from anything human.

Pixar has assembled an impressive voice cast to bring this chaos to life, led by Piper Curda as Mabel, Bobby Moynihan as King George, and Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry, alongside a deep bench of comedic and dramatic talent voicing everyone from bears and birds to insects and fish royalty.

Hoppers Title Gets Scrapped by Disney Pixar

The upcoming animated feature has quietly undergone a notable last-minute title change overseas, with Japan opting to market the film under a very different–and far more literal–name. While the movie will retain the Hoppers title in the U.S. and most international territories, Walt Disney Studios Japan has rebranded the film as When I Became a Beaver for its local release.

The change appears to be a strategic localization. The original title, Hoppers, references the film’s central concept but offers little immediate clarity on its own. By contrast, When I Became a Beaver spells out the premise instantly, making it more accessible to family audiences and casual moviegoers scanning listings.

The first-person phrasing also aligns neatly with popular Japanese storytelling trends that focus on transformation and identity shifts, as in isekai storytelling, potentially giving the film a stronger cultural hook in that market. This audience-specific targeting was reportedly part of the entire development of Zootopia 2 (2025), with some arguing that Disney deliberately produced a movie for Chinese audiences. In China, the now-highest-grossing Disney animated movie of all time has grossed over $600 million.

Following Hoppers, though, will be an altogether different kind of Pixar experience–the fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise. Toy Story 5, which lands on June 19, sees the return of the beloved cast of toy characters–including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz, respectively–take on a new threat: the digital world.

Original movie Gatto (2027), Incredibles 3 (TBD), and Coco 2 (TBD) are also on the upcoming Pixar slate. It seems Pixar, like Disney Animation, will continue to cement its sequel power for years to come.

Per the official Pixar website, the official cast list for Hoppers is as follows:

“Hoppers'” all-star ensemble features the voices of Meryl Streep (Insect Queen), Dave Franco (Titus), Kathy Najimy (Dr. Sam), Eduardo Franco (Loaf), Melissa Villaseñor (Ellen), Ego Nwodim (Fish Queen), Vanessa Bayer (Diane), Sam Richardson (Conner), Aparna Nancherla (Nisha), Nichole Sakura (Reptile Queens), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Bird King), Steve Purcell (Amphibian King), Karen Huie (Grandma Tanaka) and Tom Law (Tom Lizard), along with previously announced voice cast members Piper Curda (Mabel), Bobby Moynihan (King George) and Jon Hamm (Mayor Jerry).

Will you be heading out to see Hoppers in theaters this March? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!