Disney has been on a run of animated film announcements lately, making the studio feel like it is operating with genuine momentum again. Between the upcoming Toy Story 5, the return of Ice Age with Boiling Point, and a growing slate of original projects, there is a lot on the horizon for audiences who grew up on Disney animation and are now bringing their own kids to the theater. The most intriguing entry in that lineup might be Hexed, an original animated film that does not lean on an existing franchise, a beloved sequel, or decades of nostalgic goodwill to generate interest. It is a brand-new story, a brand-new world, and, up until now, the cast attached to it had been an open question. That changed today at CinemaCon, where Disney stepped in front of an audience of theater owners and industry professionals and officially announced the two lead voices behind the film, and the pairing makes a lot of sense the moment you hear it. Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones star in Hexed, which opens in theaters on November 25, 2026. Based on everything revealed and the casting news, this one is worth paying close attention to between now and then.Hailee Steinfeld is Billie and Rashida Jones is Alice in Disney’s #Hexed.See it only in theaters November 25 pic.twitter.com/DrQbLWGsAE— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 16, 2026 The Cast and the CharactersHailee Steinfeld will voice Billie Doe, the film’s teenage protagonist. Rashida Jones will play her mother. The dynamic between those two characters sits at the center of what Hexed is about, and the casting reflects that. Steinfeld has built a career around playing young women who carry a film on their own terms, and her voice work specifically has drawn consistent praise. Jones brings warmth and comedic intelligence to everything she does, and the mother-daughter pairing between the two of them on screen is the kind of combination that could carry a film on its own. During CinemaCon, previously unseen footage from the film was shown, including a scene of Billie taking a personality test, offering a small but telling window into the tone Disney is aiming for with this character and her story.New details for Disney Animation’s “Hexed,” in theaters in November 2026:• The movie is NOT a musical• The movie will feature a main villain pic.twitter.com/sbMdBR9bvw— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) October 5, 2025 What the Animated Film Is Actually AboutHexed was first announced at the Walt Disney Studios Showcase Panel during Destination D23 at Walt Disney World back in August 2025, and the premise has been one of the more intriguing original concepts Disney has put forward in recent years. The film follows an awkward teenage girl and her type-A mother who discover that what makes the daughter unusual is not a flaw or a quirk to be corrected but something far more significant. She has magical powers, and those powers are about to turn both of their lives and an entire secret world of magic completely upside down.The setup positions the film as something that works on multiple levels simultaneously. On the surface, it is a story about a teenager discovering she is capable of something extraordinary, which is familiar territory for animated films and for good reason. But the mother-daughter relationship at the center of it adds a layer that is less common in this genre. The type-A mother paired with an unconventional daughter who turns out to be the more powerful of the two is a dynamic that has room for genuine comedy, real emotional weight, and the kind of character growth that makes animated films land differently with adult audiences than they do with kids.The Creative Team Behind ItHexed is directed by Jason Hand and Josie Trinidad, with Jared Bush serving as executive producer. Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones are producing. Bush’s involvement as executive producer carries particular weight given his track record with Disney animation. Trinidad co-directed Encanto, which became one of the most talked-about Disney animated films in recent memory, both for its storytelling and its music. Hand has deep roots in Disney animation as well. The combination of that creative team with the cast announced today puts Hexed in a genuinely strong position heading into its November 2026 release.Credit: DisneyWhere This Fits in Disney’s Current Animated SlateDisney is releasing Hexed on November 25, 2026, during Thanksgiving weekend, one of the highest-traffic periods of moviegoing. Placing an original animated film in that slot is a statement of confidence from the studio. Thanksgiving weekend releases live or die on word of mouth that spreads fast across a holiday weekend when families are together and looking for something to do, and Disney has used that window successfully before.What makes Hexed feel distinct within the current Disney slate is precisely what makes it a risk worth watching. It is not a sequel. It is not a franchise extension. It is a completely original story set in a new world, featuring new characters and a premise that has not yet been tested with audiences. Steinfeld and Jones give it immediate credibility, and the creative team behind it has proven they know how to make something that resonates. November 25 is far enough away that there is a lot still to be revealed, but today’s casting announcement was the kind of news that takes a film from something you knew existed to something you are actually looking forward to.The post Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones Just Signed On for Disney’s Next Animated Film appeared first on Inside the Magic.