Eliois the latest film from Pixar Animation Studios. The animated adventure about a young boy abducted by aliens after being mistaken for the ambassador of Earth features plenty of Pixar hallmarks, from the presence of A113 to smaller Easter eggs. While Pixar has been no stranger to post-credits scenes, they typically are gags that pay off a joke earlier in the film, likeRiley’s Deep Dark Secret inInside Out 2or the Slug monster finally arriving at class at the end of the school year inMonsters University.
YetElioswitches things up. Yes, it does feature a typical mid-credits scene that offers a bit of resolution to the main story. But the very end of the credits marks an interesting first for Pixar, as the scene is not related toElio. Despite some pre-release buzz that the film would feature a return of Pixar’s bloopers,Elioinstead gives the audience who snuck around a sneak peek at a future animated film. It is notToy Story 5,Coco 2, orIncredibles 3, but it is another original film that will benefit from the exposure.
‘Elio’s Post-Credits Scene Explained
Following the mid-credits scene ofElio, the titular character is found communicating with his alien friend Glordon through a ham radio thanks to the help of his new friend, Bryce. Yet once the credits have finished rolling, and the Disney and Pixar logos show up one final time, a final secret scene appears.The clip shows a lizard in an all-black room tapping a cellphone, pressing the lizard emoji, with the phone repeating “lizard.” The lizard stops for a second, breaks the fourth wall by looking at the camera, and continues to press the phone. This scene is likely to leave the audience confused since the lizard is not inElio.
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Instead, the reveal is that this is the first official look atPixar’s next film,Hoppers.The film’s logo appears along with the March 2026 release date. Hoppers will be directed by Daniel Chong, the creator ofWe Bare Bears, who previously worked at Pixar Animation as a story artist onCars 2andInside Out. Despite the Pixar villain Hopper, the upcoming film is not a spin-off ofA Bug’s Life.
Instead,Hoppersrevolves around the scientific discovery to “hop” a person’s consciousness into a robotic animal so they can speak and communicate with wildlife. The film will center on Mabel (Piper Cruda), an animal lover who uses the technology to uncover mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined. Bobby Monyahan and Jon Hamm will also star in the film.
Is ‘Hoppers’ Connected to ‘Elio?’
The idea of advertising the next Pixar film with the latest release is nothing new; however, it typically comes before the film starts. Up untilBrave, Pixar Animation would create special animated trailers to market their films. Sometimes Pixar will sneak a character from one of upcoming films their latest release, like Dug’s silhouette appearing inRatatouilletwo years beforeUpopened in theaters, or Boo fromMonsters Inc.having a toy of Nemo in her room beforeFinidng Nemoopened. Yet the ad forHoppersis the first time Pixar has put a look at their upcoming film at the end of their current one, hoping the audience will stick around.
Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, audiences might expect theHopperstease would imply the two titles are connected, butthat is not the case for Pixar. Despite what thePixar theory might suggest, not every Pixar film takes place within the same universe. The Easter Eggs and cameos are what they were initially intended for; they are fun little references for fans paying attention and nothing more.
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A glimpse ofHoppersat the end ofEliois not a larger indication of some shared Pixar universe, but just a simple first look. It was likely far too early to have a trailer forHoppersready, since the movie doesn’t open until Jun 22, 2025.Hoppers’ first official trailer will likely arrive in November in time to play before Walt Disney Animation’sZootopia 2. Yet Pixar still wanted to tease audiences with what the company has planned next, and the vagueness of the tease certainly putsHoppersin the Pixar tradition of their first reveal, likely leaving the audience scratching their head.
What About the Reported Post-Credit Bloopers?
One claim that needs to be cleared up aboutElio’s post-credit scenes is that theydo not, in fact, feature blooper reels.A Bug’s Life,Toy Story 2, andMonsters Inc.all featured fun, fully animated bloopers during their credits that gave the fun indication that these characters were, in fact, actors. This practice stopped with the release ofFinding Nemo, as the Pixar animators were quickly having trouble coming up with new funny gangs, which eventually led to the vast array of credit scenes outlined before.
Even though only three Pixar films did this towards the start of the company’s feature film history, they became a major part of the brand’s identity, and one audience still fondly associates with the company. When news broke thatEliowould feature the return of blooper reels after 24 years, fans were excited. However, those audiences who stick through the credits will be unhappy to see them missing.The bloopers will be released withElioas part of its home video and Disney+ rollout.
