Pixar's latest original feature, Hoppers, has completed its theatrical run and landed on Disney+, bringing its blend of environmental storytelling and offbeat comedy to home audiences worldwide. The film follows a 19-year-old animal lover who uploads her consciousness into a robotic beaver, unraveling secrets of the animal world along the way. Critics and audiences alike have responded warmly to its mix of sharp humor and genuine emotional weight.
As a Walt Disney Studios production, Disney+ is the exclusive subscription streaming home for Hoppers, meaning subscribers can watch it without paying anything beyond their existing membership fee. For those who don't subscribe or prefer to own a copy, the film is also available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Sky Store, Rakuten TV, and CosmoGO, depending on region. Viewers watching through Apple's ecosystem sometimes run into regional restrictions on pricing or availability, which is one reason some turn to a vpn for apple tv setup to align their account region with the correct storefront before renting or purchasing.
Purchase prices for Hoppers generally fall between $19.99 and $29.99, while 48-hour rentals run roughly $14.99 to $24.99, figures broadly consistent with standard premium home-release pricing. In the UK, purchases and rentals sit around £19.99 and £15.99 respectively. These figures can shift slightly depending on the retailer and any regional promotions in effect at the time.
Why Availability Varies by Region
Streaming rights are negotiated territory by territory, which means a title fully available on Disney+ in North America may face delays or restrictions elsewhere due to licensing agreements with local broadcasters or distributors. This is a structural feature of the streaming industry, not a flaw specific to Disney+. Studios often sell regional rights separately to maximize revenue, and those contracts can take months or years to align across markets.
For travelers or expatriates who already pay for Disney+ in their home country but find themselves temporarily in a region where the service or specific title isn't accessible, a Virtual Private Network offers a workaround. A VPN routes internet traffic through a server in another location and encrypts it along the way, which can make it appear as though the connection originates from a different country. This is a widely used practice, though it sits in a gray area contractually - most streaming services' terms of service discourage using a VPN to bypass regional restrictions, even if doing so isn't typically illegal for the individual user.
What a VPN Actually Changes
Beyond unlocking geographically restricted libraries, a VPN encrypts data traveling between a device and the wider internet. This matters most on public Wi-Fi networks - airports, cafes, hotels - where unencrypted traffic can be intercepted more easily. Encryption doesn't make a connection anonymous, but it does make traffic far harder to read for anyone sitting on the same network.
- ExpressVPN - broad server coverage and consistent performance for streaming
- VeePN - a lower-cost option with a sizeable server network
- NordVPN - strong encryption standards paired with fast connections
- Surfshark - allows unlimited simultaneous device connections
- CyberGhost - wide global server distribution
- Private Internet Access - built around configurable privacy controls
Whichever provider a viewer chooses, checking a streaming platform's terms of service beforehand avoids account complications. Most services don't ban VPN use outright but reserve the right to block detected VPN traffic, which can occasionally cause playback errors rather than legal consequences.
A Sequel Remains Unconfirmed, But Hopes Are High
Pixar has not greenlit a follow-up to Hoppers, though strong reviews and healthy box office returns have fueled speculation. Director Daniel Chong has acknowledged genuine internal enthusiasm for continuing the story, and voice actor Bobby Moynihan, who plays King George, has floated a specific idea: reversing the premise so George inhabits a human body while Mabel runs for mayor against the incumbent, Mayor Jerry, with George serving as her campaign manager. It's a playful mirror of the original film's concept, though nothing has moved beyond casual conversation. Until Pixar makes an official statement, the future of Mabel's world remains speculation - however tempting it is to imagine where the story might go next.
