The cast and crew of Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers are all SZA fans, including fellow St. Louis native Jon Hamm, but the film’s biggest admirer might just be director Daniel Chong.
The animated film follows a young girl named Mabel (Piper Curda), who uses new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a robotic beaver in order to communicate with animals in the wild. As Mabel works to protect the environment from threats like Mayor Generazzo (Hamm), SZA’s original song for the film, “Save the Day,” reinforces the movie’s hopeful message about protecting the planet.
Daniel Chong says SZA’s music helped shape the film’s emotional tone
Chong said bringing SZA onto the project felt like a natural choice.
“It’s a very intuitive thing just from a musical standpoint,” he told Blavity’s Shadow and Act.
During production, Pixar employees would watch early screenings of the film, and Chong said SZA’s music kept finding its way into those internal viewings.
“One of the things we do internally…when we’re testing the movie out is we screen it at Pixar for our employees. Ultimately, you want a little song at the end ’cause we don’t have credits yet. So we would sometimes put a SZA song at the end. …All of them fit,” he said. “I think ultimately what I was looking for was what is the feeling you want people to feel coming out of the theater? What do you want them to exhale with? A lot of it was we wanted people to feel hopeful. We wanted them to feel the melancholy because there is still a little bit of sadness at the end, but there’s…a lot of joy too, and there’s a mixed emotion.”
Chong also shared how SZA’s music personally helped him during the film’s production.
“Whenever I think of SZA’s music, I remember when SOS came out. We were mid-production on this movie. I was stressed out so much, and that album was a lifeline,” he continued. “It was like she saved me to get through the movie, and so it just felt very fitting to have her in the movie. And I think…it’s an extra bonus when we know that she cares so much, whether it’s environments, people, topical things. She’s just very educated and…really is aware and a big advocate for a lot of things.”
Nicole Grindle says SZA immediately connected with the film’s message
Producer Nicole Paradis Grindle said SZA’s personal interests aligned closely with the themes of Hoppers, making the collaboration feel even more organic.
“She’s into insects. That’s cool. And we found out also that her grandmother is someone that’s very important to her, and our grandmother is such an important character in our movie,” she said.
Grindle added that once SZA watched the film, it quickly became clear she understood its emotional core.
“I mean, Daniel, you had been fanboying on SZA for a long time, and we thought, ‘Well, she’s also interested in these things. We should just approach her.’ And I just have to say that she watched the movie, and she’s so connected with it in this one screening we did with her, and then went off and wrote this beautiful song. She got it from seeing the movie once, and so, right there, we knew we’d picked the right person.”
Cast members praise SZA’s energy and artistry
The cast also shared their excitement about having SZA involved with the project.
“She’s fantastic,” said Bobby Moynihan, who voices the beaver leader King George. “We’re so lucky to have her.”
Curda called SZA “the best,” recalling the moment she learned the singer might contribute to the film.
“I remember when Daniel was like…’SZA’s gonna watch the movie today and she’s gonna decide if she maybe wants to [contribute], and…not only is it cool to have someone of that caliber to do a song for our movie, but also someone who totally identifies with what the movie’s about and can really contribute to that energy,” she said.
“You hear it in the song. You can tell that she’s not just [writing] a song for this movie, she’s…connected to it and felt it, and I feel like Mabel wrote the song, you know what I mean? It’s so, so good.”
Jon Hamm, who voices Mayor Generazzo, noted SZA’s hometown connection with him.
“She’s a St. Louis girl, so I was pleased to see her be a part of the project and…to be able to have that kind of platform, whether you’re a performing artist or what have you, to use your power for good is a great thing. She’s a tremendous artist, she’s so creative. To have her lend her voice to this is really value added, for sure.”
Dave Franco, who voices the Insect King, recalled a brief but memorable interaction with the singer.
“I remember the only time I’ve ever met her was backstage at SNL [Saturday Night Live],” he said. “And we were just walking by each other and it was such a quick interaction, but she was so joyful and just happy and good energy and it’s just stuck with me. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a good person.’ And she’s going out and spreading good vibes wherever she goes.”
Check out the full interviews with the cast and crew of Hoppers above.
Also starring Meryl Streep and Kathy Najimy, Hoppers is now playing in theaters.
The post Jon Hamm, Dave Franco And More Praise SZA For ‘Hoppers’ Movie Song ‘Save The Day’ appeared first on Blavity.
