Disney Animation released a 36-second clip from Hexed, its Thanksgiving movie starring Hailee Steinfeld as a teen witch. The film opens Nov. 25, 2026, as the studio’s 65th animated feature.
Billie’s first try at magic goes about as well as anyone’s first try at anything.
Walt Disney Animation Studios released the first clip from Hexed on Sept. 30.
In the 36-second scene, Billie, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, uses her new powers to make a path across a swamp. The green stepping stones she hops across turn out to be eyeballs, and they join together into one huge insect.
So, yes, it’s a Disney movie about magic, and the first thing the magic does is make a bug.
When does Hexed come out?
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, the day before Thanksgiving.
That’s Disney Animation’s favorite release window. Moana 2 and Zootopia 2 both opened around Thanksgiving, and both did big business, per Laughing Place.
Hexed is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 65th animated feature, per Animation World Network.
What is Disney’s Hexed about?
A teenager who finds out she’s a witch.
Billie is an impulsive teen who “has felt miscast in her own life,” director Fawn Veerasunthorn said, per Animation World Network. She accidentally unlocks magical powers and ends up in Hexe, a hidden world of witches.
The trip turns into a story about family secrets, especially between Billie and her mom, Alice.
The scene in the new clip shows how new Billie is to all of this. She clearly has power. Control is another story.
Who is in the Hexed voice cast?
Per Animation World Network:
Hailee Steinfeld as Billie
Rashida Jones as Alice, Billie’s mother
Tracey Ullman as Ms. Quill, an enchanted feather pen
Stephen Fry as Elias Quire, a magical journal
Steinfeld, who also voices Spider-Gwen in the Spider-Verse movies, became a mother herself during production, per WDW News Today. That lines up neatly with a movie about a mom and daughter.
Who directed Hexed?
Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand direct, with Josie Trinidad as co-director, per Animation World Network.
Veerasunthorn co-directed Wish, and Hand co-directed Moana 2. Trinidad directed the Zootopia+ shorts on Disney+. Roy Conli, who produced Tangled and Big Hero 6, is a producer, along with Yvett Merino.
It’s an original story, not a sequel or a remake. Disney Animation’s last two Thanksgiving movies were both sequels.
The teaser trailer gives a better look at Hexe and the rest of the cast.
Where did the Hexed clip debut?
Online, with a boost from late-night TV.
Disney posted the clip on YouTube on Sept. 30 and promoted it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, per WDW News Today.
Disney has also started promoting the movie in the parks. Character maquettes from Hexed recently went on display at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, per WDW News Today. Maquettes are the small sculptures animators use to get a character’s shape right from every angle.
Is Hexed a Halloween movie?
Not exactly, even with all the witches.
It’s a Thanksgiving release, and Disney is selling it as a coming-of-age story about magic and family. But the clip’s creepy-crawly ending and the witch-world setting should play well with anyone already in a spooky mood.
Expect more clips, more trailers and probably more park tie-ins before Nov. 25.
Disney usually ramps up its promotion in the last few weeks before a holiday release. If the first one is any sign, the bugs are just getting started.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today (Sept. 30, 2026), the first clip, Tonight Show promotion, Steinfeld’s motherhood and the maquettes
Animation World Network (2026), voice cast, directors, producers, premise and 65th-feature milestone
Laughing Place (2026), Nov. 25 release date and the Thanksgiving slot
IGN on YouTube, the Hexed teaser trailer
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