Get ready to get Hexed. Walt Disney Animation Studios dropped the first trailer for its traditional holiday animated blockbuster with the hopes that it will cast a spell over family audiences after they’ve finished their Thanksgiving feasts.
Previously teased at CinemaCon earlier this year, the film features the vocal talents of Hailee Steinfeld as a teenage girl who discovers that she’s the descendent of a magical lineage. Hexed is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand; Veerasunthorn previously co-helmed Disney’s 2023 holiday film, Wish, which met with a disappointing critical and commercial reception.
The two-minute trailer begins with Steinfeld’s character, Billie, navigating the horrors of high school. After discovering her powers while seeking refuge in a bathroom, she leaves her ordinary life behind for a magical mystery tour in an otherworldly realm where her arrival has been much anticipated.
Watch the trailer above and read on for everything else you need to know about Hexed before its Nov. 25 release.
What is Hexed about?
Here’s the official logline from Disney: “When Billie accidentally unleashes secret magical abilities, she’s hurtled out of suburbia and into a magical realm called Hexe, where she’s greeted by Ms. Quill and Elias Quire. As Billie’s spectacle-filled journey unfolds, she discovers family mysteries that could change the magical world of witches forever.”
Hand provides some additional context, noting: “Hexe is a place where Billie begins to feel seen for the first time in her life. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery that reveals a powerful connection to magic, and in the process uncovers long-held secrets about her family.”
Who else is involved?
Besides Steinfeld, Hexed‘s cast includes Rashida Jones as Billie’s seemingly ordinary suburban mother, Alice; Tracey Ullman as her magical mentor — and handy writing tool — Ms. Quill; and Stephen Fry as another traveling companion, the talking journal, Elias Quire. Behind the camera, the film is produced by Roy Conli and Yvett Merino, and Josie Trinidad serves as co-director.
What are its awards prospects?
Hexed will be one of three animated features that Disney will position for Best Animated Feature contention alongside the Pixar efforts Hoppers and Toy Story 5. Of that trio, the latest Toy Story installment is the clear front-runner, not only among Mouse House efforts, but all of the year’s animated titles. For the record, no Disney Animation Studios film has won that particular statuette since Encanto in 2022, and the trio of Strange World, Wish, and Moana 2 were all snubbed in that category in subsequent years. While the record-setting blockbuster Zootopia 2 received a nomination earlier this year, it was slain by those ramen-chomping, couch-loving KPop Demon Hunters. Suffice it to say that Hexed has a shot at a nomination, but will need some serious magic to win.
When can I see it?
Hexed opens in theaters on Nov. 25.
