Hoppers is a wonderful case of a big idea utilized in a small scale story. In the new Pixar movie, a trio of scientists discover the ability to transfer their consciousness into robot animals (allowing them to communicate with animals as well), and while that is a massive breakthrough, the plot sees the technology used to preserve a local glade. A bit part of the film’s goofy charm can be found in this approach, and I love it even more knowing that the original pitch for the film was totally different and much larger in scope.As featured in the video at the top of this article, I had the sat down with Hoppers director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Grindle late last month during the film’s Los Angeles press day, and in addition to discussing spoilerific subjects like a scene in the third act that was originally deemed too scary and the most shocking death in Pixar movie history, we also talked about the version of the movie we didn’t get to see. After Grindle revealed that a key part of the creative process was the filmmakers just getting together and spitballing ideas, Chong revealed the original vision for the feature and why it was changed. The director explained,
