Disney’s running its semi-regular D23 self-celebration this week, rolling out videos and tidbits for fans to salivate over at the Florida-set con. Most of this stuff came in the form of updates on existing projects—including showing off the opening minutes of Toy Story 5, apparently revealing our beloved toys struggling to keep kids’ attention in a world filled with iPads. But there was one new project announced: Hexed, a new animated film set to come out in November 2026.
And, we’ll be honest: The pitch for the project had us a little surprised at how very familiar it sounded. The film, directed by Moana 2‘s Jason Hand and Zootopia vet Josie Trinidad, bears the following synopsis: “An awkward teenage boy and his Type A mom discover that what makes him unusual might just be magical powers that will turn their lives—and a secret world of magic—upside down.” We’re not crazy, right? That sounds like any number of films, YA novels, podcasts, etc. that have tackled this kind of idea in a post-Harry Potter world. (Right off the top of our head, and pulling only from Disney itself, this sounds like it has a lot in common with films like Onward—with its “magic comes back” narrative—and Turning Red—”getting powers exacerbates parental tensions!” ) We can only assume there has to be something more to the idea, which we’ll presumably get more looks at in the year between now and when it hits theaters. For now, though: Hexed! We dare you to remember the name!
Elsewhere at the presentation (hosted by Professional Be Enthusiastic About Things Person Yvette Nicole Brown), Disney also showed off lots of footage from Zootopia 2, which is due out in November of this year, and gave a few more looks at Hoppers, which sounds genuinely neat. (The film, per the official D23 synopsis, “Follows Mabel, a nature-loving college student whose mission to bring the animals back to a glade that’s important to her is at odds with the mayor’s plan to build a highway through it. When a new technology allows her to ‘hop’ into the body of a robotic beaver, wild surprises await.” Surprises are always wild, and worlds turned upside-down, in Disney press copy, as far as we can tell.)
