Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” opened to an estimated $88 million worldwide this weekend, the biggest debut for an original animated movie since 2017, but still below Pixar’s hits of the past.
The well-reviewed comedy about a girl who “hops” her consciousness into a beaver sold $46 million of tickets in the U.S. and Canada and $42 million overseas, according to Disney.
“Hoppers” represents the first step in an effort by Pixar to create more broadly appealing original movies. Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter recently told The Wall Street Journal the studio’s original films in the past several years haven’t been major hits in part because they were based too closely on the real lives of their directors.
Pixar’s last original movie that turned into a franchise for parent company Disney was “Coco,” which opened to $50.8 million domestically in November of 2017.
Getting audiences off their phones and into theaters for original films has been harder for every studio postpandemic. Pixar’s original hits of the past used to regularly make more money. The first “Inside Out” opened to $90.4 million domestically in 2015, when tickets were less expensive.
Opening night audiences gave “Hoppers” an average grade of A, according to market research firm CinemaScore. Disney is hoping that means word-of-mouth will fuel a long run at the box office, including when kids are out of school for spring break.
The weekend’s other major new release, Warner Bros.’ “The Bride!,” bombed. The Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed monster romance opened to an estimated $7.3 million domestically and $6.3 million overseas.
Write to Ben Fritz at ben.fritz@wsj.com