At the Annecy Animation Festival in France, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter unveiled exclusive footage from Hoppers, introduced a new original film titled Gatto, and confirmed that Joan Cusack will reprise her role as Jessie in Toy Story 5. Sneak peek images were shared via Pixar’s social media. Let’s take a look!
Gatto
Coming to theaters in 2027 is Disney and Pixar’s Gatto. From Luca director Enrico Casarosa, the film returns to Italy, following a black cat named Nero.
“Indebted to a feline mob boss, Nero finds himself forced to forge an unexpected friendship that may finally lead him to his purpose…”
Hoppers
Originally announced last summer, Hoppers is another upcoming original film from Pixar. Written and directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, the film explores the once-unspoken animal world, where scientists have discovered how to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals. The story follows Mabel, an animal-loving girl who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond her imagination.
Film footage was seen for the first time at Annecy, but the clips have yet to be shared to the public Hoppers is set for theatrical release on March 6th, 2026.
Toy Story 5
YEEHAW! Pete Docter confirmed that Joan Cusack is returning to the Toy Story franchise as Jessie for Toy Story 5. New concept artwork for the film was released, showing Jessie, Buzz, and Bullseye looking at a texting app on a frog-faced computer tablet. This time, it’s “toys meet tech”, as this installment sees the toys facing off against computer technology.
Toy Story 5 will release in theaters on June 19th, 2026. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Ernie Hudson will take over the role of Combat Carl from the late Carl Weathers, and Conan O’Brien joins as a new character: Smarty Pants. Anna Faris has also been cast in an undisclosed role.
Upcoming sequels also include The Incredibles 3 and Coco 2. Are you excited for more original Pixar films or do you prefer the sequels?
