Pixar's "Hoppers" crossed the $250 million mark at the global box office this week, becoming the first animated film of 2026 to reach that milestone. [1] The film opened at $46 million domestically and $88 million worldwide on March 7, ending Pixar's cold streak for original properties. [2] Its second weekend held at $28.5 million domestic with a 37 percent drop — the biggest second-weekend hold for an animated film post-COVID. [3]

The domestic total now exceeds $100 million, and tracking projections suggest a $400 million global finish on a $150 million production budget. [4] That would make it comfortably profitable and Pixar's strongest original performer since "Coco" in 2017.

The context matters beyond box office arithmetic. Pixar had released several original films since the pandemic that underperformed — "Elemental," "Elio" — leading to industry speculation about whether the studio's theatrical model still worked for non-sequel properties. "Hoppers" has answered that question, at least for now.

The film faces new competition in the weeks ahead, but its hold pattern suggests a long tail through the spring family movie season. For Disney, the financial implications extend beyond this single title: "Hoppers" validates the theatrical-first model at a time when the company's streaming economics remain under scrutiny.

-- CAMILLE BEAUMONT, Los Angeles