The trailer for Pixar’s Hoppers is 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 that Hoppers is the original movie success that Pixar needs.

Speaking with Screen Rant’s Owen Danoff, Hoppers director Daniel Chong was asked about a The Hollywood Reporter piece that claimed that Pixar requested that the team behind Hoppers “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?

With the development of Elio, 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 of Hoppers and 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 that the 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 forced Hoppers to 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, until Hoppers is released, it is hard to ᴀssess exactly what went on behind-the-scenes. If there is no environmental commentary in the film, then that might raise some eyebrows based on THR‘s report. However, if there are still themes of environmentalism, it will be impossible to know how closely Hoppers aligns with Daniel Chong’s views outside his own comments.