Disney’s Hexed Just Landed Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones

Well, Disney's cooking up something new in their animation kitchen, and honestly, the behind-the-scenes on this one is a little juicier than usual. Their 65th animated feature is called ‘Hexed,’ and they're finally letting details trickle out, including a couple of notable voices you probably know.

Who's Who in ‘Hexed’?

At CinemaCon, Disney revealed that Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones will star in this witchy coming-of-age comedy. Steinfeld is playing Billie Doe, an awkward teen who—yep, you guessed it—finds out she's a witch and suddenly has magical powers. Rashida Jones is voicing her mom, and she’s not exactly thrilled about the whole 'magic' twist. Their normal world gets a massive shakeup when the two get sucked into a magical realm. So, mother-daughter hijinks but with spells and probably some talking animals or enchanted knick-knacks.

Meet the Directors

Because Disney likes to keep it in the family, the directors this time around are Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand. Fun fact: Jason Hand also co-directed ‘Moana 2’. So if you liked how that looked and moved, you probably have a pretty good sense of what ‘Hexed’ might bring to the table.

A Sneak Peek and Some Magic Objects

According to some footage Disney showed at CinemaCon, there's a scene where Billie meets a talking book and pen. These magical objects get her to share a bit about herself before literally welcoming her to ‘a world of magic and wonder.’ Classic Disney: a quick personality test before you can officially start your magical journey.

Cast Breakdown

• Hailee Steinfeld: Broke out in ‘True Grit’ (Oscar nom at 14!), then hit her stride in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’, ‘The Edge of Seventeen’, ‘Bumblebee’, and ‘Sinners.’ She's no stranger to voice work (Gwen Stacy in ‘Spider-Verse’) and is also Marvel’s Kate Bishop. Oh, and she has actual hit songs, like ‘Love Myself’ and ‘Let Me Go.’ Is there anything she can’t do?
• Rashida Jones: Forever Anne Perkins from ‘Parks and Recreation,’ and she’s popped up in movies like ‘I Love You, Man,’ ‘The Social Network,’ and ‘The Muppets.’ She’s also got plenty of animation cred, having voiced in ‘The Grinch’, ‘Klaus’, and ‘Spies in Disguise’. Jones writes, too — she penned ‘Celeste and Jesse Forever’ and the upcoming ‘The Invite.’

A Little History and Some Uneasy Vibes

This movie comes with a bit of an odd backstory. When ‘Hexed’ was first announced at D23 way back in August 2025, the plot was totally different: it was about a mother and her awkward teenage son. Somewhere along the line, that changed to be a mother-daughter film instead. There’s no explanation from Disney, but it’s worth noting this comes right after reports that Disney’s leadership killed off a Pixar project called ‘Be Fri’ because they thought boys wouldn’t relate. So, something about that must’ve shifted higher up, or maybe they're trying to chase the kind of success Sony had with ‘KPop: Demon Hunters.’

Release Date and Disney's Thanksgiving Track Record

If you’re marking your calendar: ‘Hexed’ is set for release on November 25, 2026. Disney loves opening their animated bets over Thanksgiving, hoping to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle numbers they got with ‘Tangled’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Moana’, and, most recently, ‘Zootopia 2’ (which pulled in a wild $1.86 billion worldwide). Of course, that strategy has led to some embarrassing bellyflops (‘Strange World,’ ‘Wish’). So you can bet there’s a lot riding on ‘Hexed’ being more ‘Frozen’ and less... whatever ‘Wish’ was.

'Welcome to a world of magic and wonder.'

So, what’s next? We’ll have to wait for more footage — and maybe an explanation for the plot switch. For now, chalk this up as Disney’s latest play to grab the Thanksgiving animation crown (again), with some intriguing talent and a dash of corporate nerviness behind the scenes.