Walt Disney Animation Studios has released the first teaser trailer for Hexed, the company’s first original, non-sequel film in three years. In April, the company debuted the first footage for the film in CinemaCon and announced that Academy Award nominee Hailee Steinfeld and Emmy nominee Rashida Jones as the lead characters.
The plot follows Billie (Steinfeld), an “impulsive and unconventional teenage girl,” per the film’s description and Alice (Jones), her uptight yet cautious mother.
“When Billie accidentally unleashes secret magical abilities,” the synopsis continues, “she’s hurtled out of suburbia and into a magical realm called Hexe, where she’s greeted by Ms. Quill (voiced by Emmy winner Tracey Ullman) and Elias Quire (voiced by Stephen Fry). As Billie’s spectacle-filled journey unfolds, she uncovers family mysteries that could change the magical world of witches forever.”
While many have praised Disney for an original story, some have criticised that it looks eerily like Disney’s own “The Owl House”. The series centres out-of-place teenager Luz Noceda who accidentally stumbles upon a portal to the Demon Realm. She arrives at the Boiling Isles, an archipelago formed from the remains of a dead titan, and befriends the rebellious witch Eda Clawthorne, also known as “The Owl Lady”, and her adorable demon housemate King. Despite not having magical abilities, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda’s apprentice at the Owl House and ultimately finds a new family in an unlikely setting.
There are certainly similarities between the two, wherein both have “odd” protagonists thrust into a magical world and work hard to prove themselves. However, I think we should save judgement before watching.
Hexed is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn (Wish) and Jason Hand (Moana 2), co-directed by Josie Trinidad, and produced by Roy Conli and Yvett Merino.
Director Fawn Veerasunthorn said, “A wonderfully strange phenomenon is happening all around Billie, something she can’t explain. She’s someone who has felt miscast in her own life, and it takes leaving her normal world behind and entering a hidden world of wild, unhinged magic to begin to understand herself.”
“Hexe is a place where Billie begins to feel seen for the first time in her life,” director Jason Hand said. “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.”
The film opens exclusively in theaters November 25, 2026.
