CinemaCon has a way of making things feel real that a press release never quite does. You are in a room full of people whose entire business depends on films performing, and when a studio walks out and drops a casting announcement that lands correctly, the energy shifts. That is what happened last night when Disney revealed that Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones are leading Hexed, the studio's original animated film opening on November 25, 2026. Two names, one pairing, and suddenly a film that a lot of people knew was coming became one that people are actually thinking about.
The Casting
Steinfeld is voicing Billie Doe, the teenage girl at the center of the story. Jones is playing with her mother. That is the whole relationship the film is built around, and Disney cast it correctly. Steinfeld has a specific quality in her performances, animated or otherwise, that makes her feel like someone carrying a story rather than just appearing in one. Her voice work has been strong across everything she has done in the space, and Billie Eilish sounds like a character built for exactly what she does well. Jones, as the Type-A mother, is the kind of casting that seems obvious in retrospect but takes real thought to land. She is warm without being soft, funny without undercutting the emotion, and grounded in a way that makes the dynamic between these two characters feel lived-in rather than constructed.
Hailee Steinfeld is Billie and Rashida Jones is Alice in Disney’s #Hexed.
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 16, 2026
See it only in theaters November 25 pic.twitter.com/DrQbLWGsAE
New footage shown at CinemaCon today included a scene of Billie taking a personality test, which is a small detail but a telling one. It suggests the film is building its comedy and its character work from something recognizable before it goes somewhere magical, which is usually the right instinct.
The Story
Hexed was announced at the Destination D23 event at Walt Disney World back in August 2025. The setup follows an awkward teenage girl and her type-A mom, who discover that what makes the daughter unusual is not a problem to be solved. It is magic. Real magical powers that pull both of them into a secret world neither knew existed, and they proceed to turn everything upside down. The mother-daughter dynamic is doing a lot of work in that premise, and the casting suggests Disney understands that. This is not a film where the parent is a background character while the kid goes on an adventure. The type-A mom being dragged into a world she cannot control or organize her way through is where a significant amount of the story's tension and humor will live.
New details for Disney Animation’s “Hexed,” in theaters in November 2026:
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) October 5, 2025
• The movie is NOT a musical
• The movie will feature a main villain pic.twitter.com/sbMdBR9bvw
Who Is Making It
Jason Hand and Josie Trinidad are directing. Jared Bush is the executive producer. Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones are producing. Trinidad co-directed Encanto, and that credit means something specific. Encanto trusted its audience with a story about family dysfunction and generational pressure and came out the other side with one of the most emotionally resonant Disney films in years. Having her direct a film about a mother and daughter navigating a world neither of them is prepared for is not a coincidence. That is intentional casting of creative talent, just as you cast actors.
The Release and What It Means
Thanksgiving weekend on November 25, 2026, is when Hexed lands, and that date is a statement. Disney does not put original films with no franchise safety net into that slot unless the studio believes in what it has. Thanksgiving weekend lives on word of mouth that spreads fast across a holiday when families are sitting around together, deciding what to do next. A film that connects in that environment can quickly build into something significant. A film that does not connect has nowhere to hide.
Hexed is entirely original. No sequel. There are no existing characters. No built-in audience showing up on opening weekend because they grew up with something related to it. What it has is a strong premise, a creative team with real credentials, two lead actresses who fit the material, and a release date that says Disney is not hedging its bets on this one.
Today's announcement made it feel like something worth watching. November 25 will answer the bigger question.
