LOS ANGELES – Pixar’s “Hoppers” opened with $46 million this weekend to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
The animated science fiction comedy was directed by Daniel Chong and features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy and Dave Franco.
“Scream 7” made $17.3 million Friday through Sunday in its second weekend, Comscore reported.
Director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s horror romance “The Bride” opened with a paltry $7.2 million, a disastrous total for a heavily advertised film with a reported budget in the $90 million range.
The animated children’s movie “GOAT” grossed another $6.6 million in its fourth weekend for fourth place, followed by “Wuthering Heights,” which made $3.7 million in its fourth week.
Rounding out the top 10 releases were “Crime 101” ($2 million), “Send Help” ($1.6 million), “I Can Only Imagine 2” ($1.525 million), “EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert” ($1.523 million) and “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle” ($1.3 million).
$88 million global launch
After adding another $42 million from international showings, “Hoppers” celebrated an $88 million global launch in total, the biggest for an original animated film since “Coco” came out in 2017.
“Hoppers” win was much needed for Disney and Pixar following last year’s “Elio,” which was Pixar’s worst opening ever. The studio’s only major successes lately have been sequels and franchises, while “Hoppers” is a win for original fare. It also opened higher than 2023’s “Elemental,” which eventually went on to become a sleeper hit (“Elio” did not).
“Hoppers” had a reported $150 million production budget and opened in 4,000 locations. Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver. It features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm and Kathy Najimy.
94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
“Hoppers” got a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 75% “definitely recommend” from PostTrak polling and an A CinemaScore, suggesting it should have a long and profitable run in theaters.
“This is a fantastic original film from the incredible team at Pixar, and it’s wonderful to see audiences coming out with their friends and families to enjoy it together,” said Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, in a statement. He also congratulated the filmmaking team on “a tremendous launch.”