Disney’s $389M Avatar Replacement Topped Summer Charts With Over 2.6B Views

Summer's streaming charts were dominated by Disney's Avatar replacement.After Disney's acquisition of Fox, James Cameron's science-fiction franchise has continued to be incredibly lucrative. 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water grossed $2.334 billion worldwide and was followed three years later by Avatar: Fire and Ash, which grossed $1.490 billion globally. Two more Avatar movies are on the way as well, slated to release in theaters on December 21, 2029 and December 19, 2031, although these dates are likely to change as their predecessors did.Now, according to TheWrap, Disney and Pixar's new Avatar-esque movie Hoppers dominated streaming this summer with 2.66 billion cumulative viewing minutes on Disney+ from July 1 through July 12. During this interval, it was the highest-performing movie on the streaming platform.Hoppers is centered on college student Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), who uses technology that enables her consciousness to "hop" into the body of a robotic beaver. This allows her to talk to other animals, but her attempts to save their homes from being destroyed go dangerously awry. The premise of the technology is similar to Avatar and the science that allows the consciousness of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) to go into the body of a Na'vi in the first film. Hoppers is well aware of the parallels, with the movie explicitly discussing the connections.The Pixar movie was a box office success, debuting with $88 million globally in its opening weekend and earning $389.7 million worldwide after being made on a reported production budget of $150 million. Many of the studio's non-franchise films struggled financially in theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic, making this box office performance a welcome change of pace and a sign of there still being high interest in original Pixar stories alongside sequels like Inside Out 2 and Toy Story 5. Pixar · Personality Profile Which Pixar Character Are You? 🤠 Woody The Loyal Leader 🐠 Dory The Free Spirit ⭐ Joy The Optimist START THE ADVENTURE → 01 It’s a free Saturday with no plans. What are you doing? AOrganizing a group hangout — someone’s gotta make sure everyone has a good time BWandering somewhere new — who knows what I’ll find! CMaking the most of every second — crafts, games, activities, GO! NEXT → 02 Your best friend calls you in a panic — they’re lost and don’t know what to do. How do you react? A“Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out! Think positive!” B“Stay put. I’m coming to get you. Nobody gets left behind.” C“Ooh, where are you? That sounds like an adventure!” NEXT → 03 On a road trip with friends, what’s your role? AThe one who missed the exit three times but found an amazing roadside diner BDJ, hype person, and snack distributor — this trip WILL be legendary CThe navigator with the itinerary — I planned rest stops and everything NEXT → 04 Two of your friends are fighting. What do you do? AStep in and mediate — I can’t stand seeing people I care about upset BAccidentally say something so random it defuses the whole situation CTry to cheer everyone up — group hug solves everything, right? NEXT → 05 What does your ideal life look like? AEvery single day filled with fun, laughter, and new experiences BGoing wherever the current takes me — no plans, just vibes CSurrounded by people who count on me — being needed is everything NEXT → 06 Be honest — what’s your biggest flaw? AI get distracted by literally everything — wait, what were we talking about? BI can be a little controlling — I just want things to go right! CI sometimes ignore the hard feelings because I just want everyone happy NEXT → 07 Someone you love is feeling down. How do you help? ARemind them of all the amazing things about their life until they smile BSit with them, listen, and promise I’m not going anywhere CDrag them on a spontaneous adventure to take their mind off things NEXT → 08 How do you handle big, unexpected changes in your life? AChange? What change? Oh look, something shiny! BI find the silver lining immediately — change means new possibilities! CI make a plan and try to keep everyone together through it NEXT → 09 What are you most afraid of? AThat the people I care about might not be happy BBeing replaced or forgotten by the people I love CI honestly can’t remember what I was afraid of… NEXT → 10 What would your friends say is the best thing about you? AI’d do anything for them — loyalty is everything to me BI make life more fun just by showing up CI help them see the bright side, even on their worst days REVEAL MY CHARACTER → Profile Complete Your Pixar Alter Ego 🤠 Woody “You’re my favorite deputy.” You’re the one everyone turns to when things fall apart. Loyal to a fault, you’d cross the ocean — or a busy highway — for the people you love. You take responsibility seriously, sometimes too seriously, and you struggle to let go of control. But when it matters, nobody steps up like you do. You’re the steady hand, the voice of reason, and the friend who never, ever leaves someone behind.Loyal Protective Dependable Selfless 🐠 Dory “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…” You live entirely in the present moment, and honestly? It’s kind of beautiful. You might forget the plan — or that there ever was a plan — but your open heart and fearless curiosity have a way of leading you exactly where you need to be. People underestimate you, but your resilience is unmatched. You find friends in the strangest places, and your optimism is genuinely contagious.Adventurous Resilient Open-Hearted Spontaneous ⭐ Joy “Do you ever look at someone and wonder — what is going on inside their head?” You are a radiant force of positivity who makes everyone around you feel like the best version of themselves. You throw yourself into making things wonderful — every moment is a chance for something magical. Your weakness? Sometimes you push so hard for happiness that you forget it’s okay to not be okay. But when you learn to embrace all the feelings, you become truly unstoppable.Energetic Inspiring Passionate Empathetic ↻ PLAY AGAIN The Disney+ viewership numbers prove that Hoppers was more than just a box office hit, though, with its popularity also translating to streaming. The 2.66 cumulative billion minutes from July 1-July 12 is even more impressive when considering that the film came to the platform on June 3, meaning subscribers had already been able to watch it on there for a month before the new streaming milestone was achieved. On top of these feats, the movie's reception was already overwhelmingly positive, as per the "Certified Fresh" 94% critics' score and "Verified Hot" 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In ScreenRant's Hoppers review, Gregory Nussen gave the movie seven out of 10 stars and wrote that "it's a welcome return to a time of yore, when kids were trusted to pick up on important themes - all while laughing their heads off." No continuation of the story has been officially announced yet, although King George actor Bobby Moynihan shared Hoppers 2 pitches while previously speaking with ScreenRant. Following the box office numbers and acclaim from critics and general audiences, the unparalleled Disney+ viewership can only increase the chances of a sequel or spinoff happening. Hoppers' Streaming Success Comes Following Pixar's Layoffs Despite the success of Hoppers, which was followed only months later by Toy Story 5 passing $1 billion at the global box office, there were mass layoffs at Pixar this summer. It was the largest number of layoffs for the studio in the past two years, raising questions about the future and casting a shadow over the milestones for the rest of the year. Gatto, Incredibles 3, and Coco 2 are all on the way, and while their chances of performing well financially and critically should be bolstered by what Hoppers has achieved in theaters and on streaming, their futures are complicated by the harsh realities of the layoffs and where Pixar is headed after this development. Hoppers was directed by Daniel Chong, with a screenplay written by Jesse Andrews, and a cast that, in addition to Curda and Moynihan, includes Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Meryl Streep, and Dave Franco. Hoppers is streaming on Disney+. Release Date March 6, 2026 Runtime 105 minutes Director Daniel Chong Cast Piper Curda Mabel Tanaka / Mabel Beaver (voice) Writers Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews Producers Nicole Paradis Grindle