The trailer for Pixar’sHoppersis here, and the director of the upcoming animated film has discussed potential Pixar censorship and how the studio’s movies evolve throughout their production. Pixar has been going through a lot of changes since the COVID-19 Pandemic, and while several attempts at original movies haven’t worked out, many fans are hoping thatHoppersis the original movie success that Pixar needs.
Speaking with Screen Rant’s Owen Danoff,Hoppersdirector Daniel Chongwas asked about aThe Hollywood Reporterpiece that claimed that Pixar requested that the team behindHoppers"tone down themes of environmentalism." In response, Chong started out by saying “I did not experience having being censored or being told not to do things.”
Instead, Chong explains, the director “felt a lot of alignment” with the studio throughout development, saying that “every movie here goes through so much iteration and changes a lot.” Chong states that he can see why, to people outside Pixar, “it looks like things are being censored.” However, Chong believes that “The things that I wanted this movie to say and to feel are still in the movie, so that’s the best I can say for our process.”
What Daniel Chong’s Comments Mean For Pixar’s Hoppers
Was The Pixar Movie Actually Censored?
Withthe development ofElio, there has clearly been a lot of shifting going on behind-the-scenes at Pixar. According to Chong, however, he still feels like he is in charge ofHoppersand that Pixar isn’t stepping on him. While changes are behind made, Chong doesn’t think that any of these changes are outside the normal life cycle of any film’s development.
Chong’s comments about Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter show thatthe studio is still focused on bringing the visions of filmmakers to life, which is the thing that has always made the animated studio unique. While Pixar has been providing notes, it is clear that they want to tell Chong’s story with the messages that he wants to convey.
Our Take On Pixar’s Hoppers Censorship Controversy
It Is Hard To Judge Until The Movie Is Released
Based on Chong’s comments, it seems that Pixar has not forcedHoppersto remove its environmental commentary.It is impossible to say what Pixar’s notes were about, and it is entirely possible that the film’s handling of its environmental themes was part of it.
However,untilHoppersis released, it is hard to assess exactly what went on behind-the-scenes. If there is no environmental commentary in the film, then that might raise some eyebrows based onTHR’s report. However, if there are still themes of environmentalism, it will be impossible to know how closelyHoppersaligns with Daniel Chong’s views outside his own comments.
