The Big Picture The "Anything But Oscars" Mailbag! Plus: ‘Hoppers’
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Mar 9, 2026 They unpack a big opening weekend for Pixar’s Hoppers and debate its strengths and flaws. They react to WGA and ASC awards and tease Cannes premiere hopes. They share memorable movie theater experiences, argue over what defines a 2020s film aesthetic, and trade guilty-pleasure and desert-island movie picks. Plus news about a new Conan movie and studio strategy for big IP.
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Pixar's Hoppers Signals Renewed Appetite For Originals
- Pixar's recent original films struggled, but Hoppers' strong opening suggests audiences are hungry for new original stories.
- Hoppers opened to $47M domestic, the biggest original Pixar launch since Coco, signaling appetite beyond franchise fatigue.
Pixar Balances Franchise Safety With Original Experiments
- Pixar leans on sequels as a reliable business strategy while experimenting with originals between franchise releases.
- Sean notes recent mid-tier Pixar films and the studio announcing Monsters, Inc. 3 as evidence of this balance.
Kid Reaction Proved Trailer Promises Matter
- Amanda brought her four-year-old son Knox to Hoppers and he loudly declared confusion 20–25 minutes in, which then resolved when the advertised animals appeared.
- That reaction highlights how child audiences latch to clear visual promises (billboards/trailers).