Pixar's Hoppers Team Recounts How Tom the Lizard Went Viral
At View Conference, director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Paradis Grindle explained how a rejected D23 clip grew into a meme used in Hoppers marketing.
At View Conference in Turin, Hoppers director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Paradis Grindle described how the film's side character Tom the Lizard became a viral meme before the movie's release, according to cartoonbrew.com.
The clip shows Tom repeatedly pressing a lizard emoji button. It was made for Disney's D23 announcement of the film, but Disney rejected it, and it was later attached to the end credits of Pixar's Elio.
A viewer recorded the clip from those end credits and uploaded it to YouTube. It was then reposted on TikTok and spread widely, the filmmakers said.
Tom's popularity produced memes, dances, remixes, tattoos, bootleg merchandise, cosplay and an official Fortnite skin. The makers said Disney folded Tom's popularity into Hoppers' promotional campaign to build awareness of the original film ahead of release.
Grindle said creating a meme cannot really be planned, and that the experience opened Disney and Pixar's marketing eyes to a new possibility for building awareness for original films.
Quick answers
What is Tom the Lizard in Hoppers?
Tom the Lizard is a side character in Pixar's Hoppers whose clip of him pressing a lizard emoji button became a viral meme.
Where did the Tom the Lizard clip first appear?
It was made for Disney's D23 announcement but rejected, then attached to the end credits of Pixar's Elio. A viewer recorded it from the credits and posted it to YouTube.
Did Tom the Lizard get an official Fortnite skin?
Yes. According to the filmmakers at View Conference, Tom's popularity led to an official Fortnite skin, along with memes, remixes, cosplay and bootleg merchandise.