Disney-Pixar's 'Hoppers' Tops Box Office with $88M Global Launch

Disney-Pixar's 'Hoppers' Soars to Box Office Victory with $88 Million Global Launch

Disney and Pixar's latest environmental adventure film, 'Hoppers', has made a spectacular debut, topping the North American box office this weekend. According to studio estimates released on Sunday, the movie earned an impressive $46 million in domestic ticket sales during its opening weekend. When combined with an additional $42 million from international markets, 'Hoppers' celebrated a total global launch of $88 million. This marks the most significant opening for an original animated film since 'Coco' premiered in 2017.

'Hoppers' Achieves Record-Breaking Opening for Original Films

With its $88 million global haul, 'Hoppers' has set a new benchmark for original films. It surpassed last year's 'Weapons', which collected $71 million, to claim the top spot for the highest opening weekend. The film also outperformed other notable releases:

'Onward' with $68 million
'Sinners' with $63 million
The animated feature 'Red One' with $62 million

Produced on a reported budget of $150 million, 'Hoppers' opened in approximately 4,000 locations across North America. Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie follows the story of a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world by transforming into a beaver. The film features voice performances from a talented cast including Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Najimy.

—

Wide Pickt banner — collaborative shopping lists app for Telegram, phone mockup with grocery list

A Much-Needed Win for Disney and Pixar

The success of 'Hoppers' comes as a welcome relief for Disney and Pixar, especially after last year's 'Elio', which recorded Pixar's worst opening ever. In recent times, the studio's major hits have primarily been sequels and franchise films, making 'Hoppers' a significant victory for original content. Notably, its opening weekend outperformed 2023's 'Elemental', which later became a sleeper hit, unlike 'Elio'.

Critics and audiences have responded positively to 'Hoppers'. The film boasts a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 75% "definitely recommend" score from PostTrak polling, and an A CinemaScore. These indicators suggest that the movie is likely to enjoy a long and profitable theatrical run.

'The Bride!' Struggles at the US Box Office

In contrast, not all big studio releases fared well this weekend. Maggie Gyllenhaal's R-rated reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story, 'The Bride!', faced a disappointing debut. Released by Warner Bros. and starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, the film opened to an estimated $7.3 million from 3,304 domestic locations. With a production cost of around $80 million, excluding marketing expenses, this performance is concerning.

'The Bride!' encountered a bumpy path to theaters, including edits after reportedly poor test screenings and a release date pushed back from September. This delay may have been intended to avoid competition with Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', which premiered last fall. Audience demographics showed that men comprised a slight majority at 53%. However, the film received mixed to negative reviews, with a "rotten" 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, a C+ CinemaScore, and only 43% of viewers saying they would "definitely recommend" it.

International audiences did not provide much support either, as the film earned only $6.3 million outside the U.S. and Canada, bringing its global debut to $13.6 million.

Comparing 'Hoppers' and 'The Bride!'

The two films were not direct competitors, given their distinct target audiences. 'Hoppers' is a PG-rated family-friendly adventure, while 'The Bride!' is an audacious, R-rated genre-blending experience. 'Hoppers' benefited from a slew of positive reviews, whereas 'The Bride!' faced critical and audience skepticism.

Pickt after-article banner — collaborative shopping lists app with family illustration

Other Box Office Highlights

Paramount's 'Scream 7' secured second place in its second weekend, earning $17.3 million. This represents a significant drop of 73%, bringing its domestic total to $93.4 million and its global total to $149.5 million.

Sony's 'GOAT' landed in fourth place with $6.6 million, while 'Wuthering Heights' rounded out the top five with $3.8 million. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the iconic lovers Cathy and Heathcliff from Emily Bronte's classic novel, 'Wuthering Heights' has now surpassed $213 million globally.