Hoppers Full Cast Revealed: Meryl Streep Joins Pixar Original—and Humanity Is in Trouble

Pixar just dropped the full trailer for 'Hoppers,' and it looks like the studio finally let someone shake the snow globe. It is directed by Daniel Chong (yep, the 'We Bare Bears' creator), with Meryl Streep voicing an insect queen who literally summons an animal council to declare... well, war. For a studio catching flak lately for leaning so hard into sequels (Toy Story 5 is looming next year), this one feels like the chaotic original swing they needed.

So what is 'Hoppers' actually about?

At the center is Mabel, an animal-obsessed human who transfers her consciousness into a robotic weaver — a process the film’s scientists call a 'hopper.' In her new body, she links up with wildlife to push back on the local mayor’s construction plans. Pretty straightforward... until it isn’t.

The roughly two-minute trailer throws a curveball: Streep’s insect queen pulls together an animal council and goes full hardline on humanity. Mabel suddenly isn’t just fighting a development project — she is stuck between species with wildly different endgames.

'The shrill beaver is right. Their treachery ends here now! Let’s squish the humans.'

If this is executed right, it could play like a thematic cousin to 'A Bug’s Life' — not a sequel, but tapping into some of the same nerves about power, exploitation, and who gets squeezed when the gears of progress turn. That older movie has quietly picked up a second life because of how blunt it is about class dynamics. 'Hoppers' looks ready to wade into similar waters, just with a lot more tech, teeth, and antennae.

The voice cast is stacked

• Meryl Streep (the insect queen; also popping up in 'The Devil Wears Prada' sequel next year)
• Dave Franco
• Piper Curda
• Bobby Moynihan
• Jon Hamm
• Kathy Najimy
• Eduardo Franco
• Melissa Villasenor
• Ego Nwodim
• Vanessa Bayer
• Sam Richardson
• Aparna Nancherla
• Nichole Sakura
• Isiah Whitlock Jr
• Steve Purcell
• Karen Huie
• Tom Law

Producer Nicole Paradis Grindle told THR the ensemble went all-in:

'We have assembled a legendary cast for Hoppers, and the voice talent really gave the film all they had. Be it uproarious humor, heartfelt emotion or crazy animal noises, they delivered beyond our expectations.'

Release date, context, and the uphill climb

'Hoppers' opens March 6, 2026, kicking off Pixar’s 2026 slate and landing before 'Toy Story 5' later that year. The brand-name juggernaut is likely to crush on recognition alone, but 'Hoppers' has the tougher job: proving an original Pixar movie can still open big.

Pre-COVID, that was almost a given. Then some of Pixar’s best work got shunted to streaming, and the marketing for their recent originals was, let’s be generous, quiet. The result: great reviews, disappointing box office. Whether 'Hoppers' breaks that streak comes down to Disney actually backing this thing. If the studio gives it oxygen — and if the movie leans into the wild, ambitious energy this trailer promises — it could be something special instead of another Elio-style missed opportunity.

Bottom line: chaotic premise, killer cast, and a director who knows how to balance sweet with sharp. I am in.