Disney announces Hexed and Zootopia 2 casting

Disney unveiled Hexed and announced new Zootopia 2 casting at the D23 expo, signaling a focus on original stories and refreshed characters.

Disney Reveals Hexed and Zootopia 2 Casting at D23

At Destination D23 in Orlando, Disney announced its next original film, Hexed, from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film is directed by Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand with Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones producing. The studio described Hexed as an all new original story about a teenager and his Type A mom whose ordinary life turns magical and opens a hidden world. The film is set for theatrical release in November 2026.

Also at D23, Disney shared updates on Zootopia 2. Yvette Nicole Brown joins the voice cast as Bearoness and EMT Otter, while Patrick Warburton returns as Mayor Winddancer. Ke Huy Quan voices Gary De Snake, and Shakira, Quinta Brunson, and Fortune Feimster round out the new casting. Yvett Merino is listed as a producer. Zootopia 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on November 26.

The announcements signal a broader push by Disney to foreground original storytelling alongside its established franchises. Hexed aims to expand the studio's animated portfolio with a family oriented coming of age premise wrapped in a fantasy element. The mix of veteran and new voices on Zootopia 2 shows an intent to refresh a popular world while leveraging star power from music and comedy. The D23 stage acts as a public preview of Disney's long term strategy to balance sequels with original titles that can attract varied audiences and sustain box office momentum across a crowded fall season.

Highlights

The studio faces the challenge of turning ambitious ideas into box office momentum over the next few years.