‘Hoppers’ Tops Box Office: Weekend Predictions & ‘The Bride!’s’ Disappointing Debut

Disney and Pixar’s animated adventure Hoppers leaped to the top of the box office this weekend, delivering a $46 million debut and marking the animation studio’s strongest opening for an original film since 2017’s Coco. The strong performance offers a welcome boost for Pixar, which has seen more modest launches for original concepts in recent years.

A Resurgence for Original Animation

The success of Hoppers, directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, is particularly notable given the recent trend of animated films relying heavily on established franchises. According to Deadline, the film’s $46 million domestic opening is the best for a Pixar original and for any original animated movie since Coco’s debut seven years ago. Globally, Hoppers grossed $88 million, with $42 million coming from 40 territories. This weekend’s overall domestic box office reached $98 million, a 76% increase compared to the same period last year.

Disney Co-Chairman Alan Bergman celebrated the film’s launch, stating, “This is a fantastic original film from the incredible team at Pixar, and it’s wonderful to see audiences coming out with their friends and families to enjoy it together.”

A Tale of Two Openings: Hoppers vs. The Bride!

While Hoppers soared, Warner Bros.’ gothic romance The Bride! experienced a disappointing opening weekend. The film, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, earned just $7.3 million domestically – far below initial projections for the $90 million production. The Associated Press reports the film received a C+ CinemaScore and a low 43% “definite recommend” on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak, signaling lukewarm audience reception.

The contrast between the two openings highlights a potential shift in audience preferences. Hoppers tapped into the enduring appeal of family-friendly animation, while The Bride!, an auteur-driven genre film, struggled to connect with a wider audience.

Pixar’s Comeback and the State of the Box Office

Pixar’s recent history has been a mix of successes, and challenges. While sequels like Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have consistently performed well, original films like Elemental and Elio faced more modest debuts. Elemental, however, demonstrated the potential for original Pixar films to gain traction through positive word-of-mouth, eventually grossing nearly $500 million worldwide. ScreenDollars notes that this weekend marks the third consecutive week the overall box office has exceeded the same frame from 2025, suggesting a broader recovery for the theatrical market.

Hoppers’ strong performance similarly impacted overall theater attendance. EntTelligence data reveals 3.4 million admissions for the film, surpassing the opening weekend admissions for DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot. Foot traffic during matinee showings (before 5 PM) was 62%, and Hoppers accounted for 43% of the weekend’s overall foot traffic, compared to just 7% for The Bride! The film also demonstrated broad appeal across different population densities, performing evenly in rural, medium, urban, and high urban areas.

Beyond the Top Two: Holdovers and Upcoming Releases

Rounding out the top five were Paramount’s Scream 7, which held onto second place with approximately $17 million in its second weekend, Sony’s animated holdover GOAT with $6.6 million, and Warner Bros.’ romantic drama Wuthering Heights with roughly $3.7 million.

Looking ahead, Universal’s romantic drama Reminders of Him and A24’s horror flick Undertone are slated to open on March 13th. Amazon MGM’s original sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary will follow on March 20th, with early indicators suggesting strong advance ticket sales and positive audience interest. Industry analysts anticipate a strong finish to the first quarter, potentially surpassing $9 billion in total domestic box office – the best year since before the pandemic.

What’s on the Horizon for 2026 Releases?

The success of Hoppers, coupled with the anticipated releases of Reminders of Him and Project Hail Mary, suggests a positive trajectory for the box office in the coming months. The industry will be closely watching to see if this momentum continues, and whether original films can consistently draw audiences back to theaters. The performance of Project Hail Mary, in particular, will be a key indicator, given its strong pre-release buzz and the growing appetite for science fiction among moviegoers.