Top 10 Things You Missed in Hoppers

#10: Name’s Crush

“Hoppers” opens with a daring jailbreak. By that, we mean that animal lover Mabel attempts to liberate several school pets from their cages. The first captive she busts out is a long-suffering turtle. Although it isn’t said out loud, the turtle’s tank reads, “Hi, My Name Is Crush.” That’s apparently a popular name among turtles, as Marlin came across one called Crush in “Finding Nemo.” Funnily enough, this setup reflects the Tank Gang’s aspirations to escape from the dentist’s office. Mabel gets caught, meaning little Crush won’t join Nemo in the sea. For a brief second, though, Crush tasted sweet freedom raining down from above. The Luxo Ball also makes an appearance in the opening, continuing a long-standing Pixar tradition.

#9: Pixar’s Next Movie Teased with Emojis

The Luxo ball resurfaces in the end credits, along with a few other Easter eggs. Over the Pixar Animation Studios credit, you’ll find emojis for the iconic starred ball, the Luxo lamp, and even one of the Little Green Men from “Toy Story.” We guess that last one counts as a nod to Pixar’s next film, “Toy Story 5.” We’re also curious if King George’s pink stereo could appear in the “Toy Story” sequel. It does look pretty toyetic, after all. In any case, “Toy Story 5” will largely focus on tech, which similarly ties into “Hoppers.” Like Bonnie, the animals become screen-obsessed. Few find emojis more enthralling than Tom Lizzard. He’s voiced by Tom Law, which brings us to our next entry.

#8: A “We Bare Bears” Reunion

Tom Law was a writer, storyboard artist, and occasional voice actor on the Cartoon Network series, “We Bare Bears.” The director of “Hoppers” is none other than that show’s creator, Daniel Chong. Law isn’t the only “We Bare Bears” alumnus with whom Chong reteamed for “Hoppers.” Of course, there’s Bobby Moynihan, who voiced Panda before being crowned King George in this movie. It’s much easier to miss the voice of Ice Bear, Demetri Martin, as a bunch of birds tweeting in a tree. Eric Edelstein can also be heard in the film, although he isn’t the grizzly bear this time around. That would be Melissa Villaseñor, who also voiced Karen Beverly in “Toy Story 5.”

#7: Mabel’s Phone Case

There are a couple more “Toy Story 5” references in “Hoppers.” On the back of Mabel’s phone case, you can spot a Little Green Man sticker. You’ll also see a sticker for the Wilderness Explorers from “Up.” Whether or not Mabel was ever a Wilderness Explorer herself, she has a few other things in common with Russell. Not only are they of Asian descent and share a deep affection for nature, but both find parental figures in the elderly. For Mabel, it’s her grandmother. Mabel also befriends an old man as she goes door-to-door collecting signatures. He’s friendlier than Carl Fredricksen, although instead of a signature, he gives Mabel a grocery list, which does pay off if you stay through the credits.

#6: The Beaver King

As King George explains the pond rules to Mabel, she inquires as to how exactly he inherited the crown on his head. In a nutshell, George explains that he was initially exiled from his home. After his father’s death, though, there was a power struggle in George’s family. Despite some hesitation, George decided to return and reclaim his place as king, ruling over the mammals of the forest. George’s backstory sounds a lot like another Disney character’s: Simba from “The Lion King.” George’s explanation as to why some animals must eat others to survive even calls Mufasa’s “circle of life” speech to mind. George also lives by a popular Disney motto. No, not hakuna matata, but “we’re all in this together.”

#5: The “Avatar” Comparisons Come Full Circle

The filmmakers behind “Hoppers” don’t try to hide the fact that the idea of someone using an artificially created body to engage with nature sounds like “Avatar.” The irony is that for years, people have been comparing “Avatar” to animated movies that preceded it. The clash between humans and nature in “Avatar” most notably echoes “FernGully,” not to mention Disney movies like “Pocahontas,” “The Jungle Book,” and “Tarzan.” James Cameron himself even mentioned the anime “Ghost in the Shell” as an inspiration, both featuring someone who transfers their consciousness to a human-made body. You can say that “Hoppers” has brought things full circle, going from “Avatar” mirroring animated movies to an animated movie knowingly taking a page from “Avatar.” Disney owns it all now, anyway.

#4: Meryl Streep Voices Another Insect Queen

We’re not sure what’s funnier: that Pixar got Meryl Streep to play a literal queen butterfly, that we didn’t at all recognize her voice, or that her character’s exit is as sudden as her introduction. What makes Streep’s presence even funnier is that this isn’t the first time she’s voiced an insect queen in an animated film. Almost two decades ago, she voiced the Queen Ant in “The Ant Bully.” Weirdly enough, the Queen Ant reveals herself in that film as she emerges from a pair of butterfly wings. The Insect Queen in “Hoppers” is far more tyrannical, however, as is her offspring. In yet another bizarrely full-circle moment, the insect crown is ultimately passed on to an ant during the climax of “Hoppers.”

#3: For the Birds & For Ralph

During the council meeting, animals from all over gather. Among them is a group of birds with a design you might recognize. This egg-shaped flock is the same one from the Pixar short, “For the Birds.” Nestled on a power line, the identical birds shun an outsider, only to meet a fowl fate. That 2000 film would win director Ralph Eggleston an Academy Award. Sadly, Eggleston passed away in 2022, with “Elemental” being dedicated to his memory. The following year, “Inside Out 2” worked in a tribute to Eggleston through Number 87. While he was sick, Eggleston also did some early development paintings for “Hoppers.” The filmmakers thus decided to honor Eggleston’s memory, remodeling the birds from his award-winning short for this scene.

#2: Mabel’s Bedroom

Although most of the film takes place outdoors, we are given a brief glimpse of Mabel’s bedroom. Mabel has collected more than a few Easter eggs, including a character who we’ll be seeing in “Toy Story 5.” Again, Pixar has to keep up their tradition of teasing the studio’s next movie. That’s not the only Pixar character present, as a skeleton from “Coco” can be spotted as well. Mabel’s room isn’t exclusive to Pixar characters either. There are also three bears that look an awful lot like Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear from “We Bare Bears.” A part of us wishes that we could’ve spent more time in Mabel’s room, if only to see if some of these objects come to life when she leaves.

#1: Dr. Sam’s Chalkboard

Although the Hoppers program is shut down, Dr. Sam has a few new experiments lined up. Turning Mabel’s attention to the other side of her chalkboard, Dr. Sam reveals what Daniel Chong describes as a “super Easter egg.” According to producer Nicole Grindle, it references five different movies. Most notably, the chalkboard features a drawing of a dog and a collar with a speaker. It looks just like the collar that Dug and other dogs used to communicate with humans in “Up.” In that film, Dug said that his master, Charles Muntz, made him the collar. Perhaps this is just a case of great minds thinking alike, or maybe there’s a connection between Muntz and Dr. Sam. The Pixar Theory thickens.

Did you catch any other Easter eggs in “Hoppers?” Let us know in the comments.