# Meryl Streep, Jon Hamm, Dave Franco Brought Comedy To ‘Hoppers’, Director Daniel Chong Says – Contenders L.A.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/meryl-streep-jon-hamm-dave-franco-brought-comedy-to-hoppers-director-daniel-chong-says-contenders-l-a/
- Published: 2026-11-15T00:20:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T12:09:31+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/11/hoppers-daniel-chong-piper-curda-interview-1237224208/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Comedy shaped the casting of Pixar’s *Hoppers*.
- Mabel rallies animals to protect their glade.
- The filmmakers aim to make caring feel cool.

## Summary

Director Daniel Chong says comedy was the main priority when casting Pixar’s animated film *Hoppers*, bringing performers including Meryl Streep, Jon Hamm and Dave Franco into its voice cast. The approach pairs high-energy humour with a story about protecting a glade, using comedy to make the film’s environmental themes accessible.

Hamm plays a mayor who approves the glade’s destruction, while Streep voices an insect queen and Franco plays her son. Piper Curda voices Mabel, a young environmentalist who uses technology to control a robot beaver and rally the animals; she hopes the character shows young viewers that caring about a cause can be “cool”. Producer Nicole Paradis Grindle said humour helps deliver the film’s deeper message and emotional impact.

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