On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz visit Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California to meet the humans behind Disney and Pixar's HOPPERS, including Director Daniel Chong, Producer Nicole Grindle, Story Supervisor John Cody Kim, Story Artist Margaret Spencer, Production Designer Bryn Imagire, and Visual Effects Supervisor Beth Albright.
Daniel and Shahbaz also reflect on their 2016 attempt to visit Pixar and what it was like returning to the studio nearly a decade later for this unforgettable experience. Later in the episode, they’re joined by some Canadian hometown heroes working at Pixar, including John Cody Kim (Story Supervisor), Andreas Deutz (Animator), Scott Edelman (Simulation Artist), and Eddy Okbata (Animator), who share their journeys to the studio and what it’s like bringing Pixar films to life.
Hoppers follows animal lover Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) who seizes the opportunity to test groundbreaking new technology that allows her to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver—giving her the ability to communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver named King George (voiced by Bobby Moynihan). Together, they must rally the entire animal kingdom to confront a looming human threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo (voiced by Jon Hamm). The all-star voice cast also includes Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep. Hoppers releases exclusively in theatres on March 6, 2026.
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