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The spooky season will be over by the time Disney’s “Hexed” hits theaters on November 25, 2026. But the Halloween spirit started a little early at Disney Animation Studios last September. Me, director Jason Hand (“Moana 2”), von Virasunton (“Wish”), and co-director Josh Trinidad (story artist and story lead on “Zootopia,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet”).
In “Hexed,” our story is that of 16-year-old Billie, who struggles to fit in with other kids. Everyone was whispering behind her back as she strolled down the aisle in her alternative style, which featured fuchsia hair and combat boots, the first footwear for a Disney heroine. But as Billie tries to figure out why she feels like an outsider, she discovers that she is actually a witch. Unfortunately, the discovery was made when she accidentally opened a portal to the magical world of Hexe, a haven for witches and wizards. This sends her overprotective mother Alice (Rashida Jones) into a panic as she ventures to Hexe to find her.
Oh, and did I mention that Billy’s mother is the one who blocks her daughter’s powers with a little purple crystal bracelet? It sets the stage for a familiar yet moving story in which the limitations of an overbearing parent threaten to ruin a child’s true potential, and what they see as nurturing and love is actually oppression that prevents them from being themselves.
After watching 30 minutes of “Hexed” footage from Disney Animation Studios, I’m definitely a lot more interested in this magical journey than I have been since the teaser trailer was released in June. This is largely thanks to the three-eyed green cat and the dazzling new magical world of Hexe.
Hexed is based on the familiar emotional conflict between mothers and daughters.
“Hexed” begins with a wonderful throwback to Disney animation history, with a table-setting prologue introducing the world of witches, wizards, and Hexe, delivered in hand-drawn animation by Disney animator Tyler Pacana.
The world of Hexe was created by the Flying Witch, who sought to provide all witches and wizards with a place where their moonlight-powered magic could flourish without the fear of non-magical folk. However, the witch behind the spell died before it could be completed, and the people of Hexe waited for someone to complete the spell so that the realm could unleash its original magical potential.
That person may be Billy, but ever since she was a baby, when she accidentally opened the gateway to Hexe and the crows tried to take her away, her mother Alice has kept Billy’s powers a secret with a sort of purple crystal bracelet that she must always wear. why? I’m not sure, but it probably has something to do with Alice’s past.
Alice doesn’t want her life uprooted by her family’s magic, but that’s why she becomes fiercely protective of Billy. She won’t allow you to get a driver’s license, or even have a pet cat or plants in your room. Billie is worried that Alice has all these rules because Alice’s mother thinks there is something wrong with her. There’s a divide that Billie keeps pushing, and Alice can’t be honest with her daughter until she’s forced to.
When Billy’s bracelet comes off, she realizes her magical abilities, but is unable to control them, opening a portal to Hexe and being sucked into a world of fantasy.
The world of Hexe is another fantastic realm of Disney magic.
If there’s one thing Disney does well, it’s creating worlds you want to immerse yourself in. As soon as you enter Hexe, it feels like a space that could easily come to life as a Disney theme park. After escaping from her boring home in Plainsville, Billie finds herself in Hexe and is ecstatic to realize that she is a witch.
Billie has a blast wandering around Hexe to witness all sorts of different witches and wizards doing their magic, from the familiar green-skinned mantis witch voiced by Rachel Dratch to a fun callback to “The Little Mermaid” villain Ursula. There are undoubtedly a lot of Easter eggs here, so look carefully.
disney The instrumental version of Dua Lipa’s hit pop song “Levitating” provides an upbeat soundtrack to the fun sequence, but there’s more to it than just the fact that it’s a catchy tune that teens will enjoy. After Billie learns that all spells start with the three I’s: Intention, Ignition, and Inwitchification, she accidentally tries magic, blowing up a pumpkin and causing a bit of chaos, but still having a good time. But she caught so many eyes with another amazing magic trick. The point is that Billy can fly.
You might not think it’s a big deal for a witch to fly, but in the world of Hexe, Billie is only the third witch in history to display that ability. This puts her on the radar of Queen Celeste (Jodie Foster), who is on the verge of completing the Haven Moon Festival’s most important moon spell. She is none too pleased to hear about another witch with the ability to fly and enter the world of Hexe.
Enter Beef Roger Crummchuk
While Billie is in Hexe, her mother has no choice but to track her down. She rescues Billy after the authorities want to take her into custody after the flight incident, but we don’t see how their escape plays out after that. The 30 minutes shown to me and other reporters also didn’t reveal how Alice was captured, but instead had a fantastic character to reveal.
With her mother under the protection of Queen Celeste, Billie must venture out on her own to get help, and she is told that Beef Roger Crummchuk is the one who can help her. Again, we don’t see how she got this information, nor how she was able to turn the cauldron into a walking companion she nicknamed Bucket. But we got to see what happens when she meets Beef.
disney This character is played by Walton Goggins. He’s a short, green-furred, three-eyed cat who can stretch his body, but I wouldn’t call him a pet. He’s a familiar, and he was Alice’s familiar until Alice apparently left him behind and banished him to this dark and scary forest. There he lives in a campervan with a creepy house stacked several stories above it. But don’t worry. Because the scariest thing about Biff is his grumpy attitude.
According to the footage shown, this character is undoubtedly the best character in the movie. This brash, familiar voice, with a bit of “Big Lebowski” energy and Goggins’ iconic Southern voice, is hilarious. “Hexed” was already intriguing before, but Beef makes it even funnier. We’ve only gotten a taste of his growing mentorship with Billie, but I’m already eager to see more.
Hexed appears to have a lot of magic in store for its audience.
Keeping in mind that this is only based on a half hour of “Hexed,” I think there’s enough heart, charm, and humor in Disney’s upcoming fantasy adventure to at least make me much more interested in seeing how the full movie plays out.
The film’s first act has a lot of table-setting regarding Billie’s relationship with her mother, but it also serves to create a much greater sense of relief when Billie arrives at Hexe. It is a place where she feels she belongs. Furthermore, the fact that Billie is so excited by the sheer potential of her magical abilities that she doesn’t care how many times she fails to succeed is a testament to how desperate she is to find a place like this. I’m sure many children and adults alike will relate.
For me, the best part of the video was Walton Goggins as Beef Roger Crummchuk and the design of the Hexe world itself. It’s full of life, color, and that special kind of Disney magic that immerses you in a place you’ve never been before.
‘Hexed’ will be released on November 25, 2026.