Disney’s Zootopia 2 Follow-up Wants to Resurrect 70-Year-Old Movie Magic
Disney is preparing to release Hexed, its 65th animated feature film, reviving the studio’s commitment to hand-drawn animation and intricate character design. The film follows Billie, a rebellious teenager portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld, who discovers Hexe, a hidden magical world inhabited by witches living in harmony with nature.
The film’s production team, including co-director Jason Hand, emphasizes delivering the kind of sophisticated animation work Disney pioneered decades ago. Hexed incorporates deliberate references to classic Disney properties—including a door with a mouth-like knob inspired by Alice in Wonderland and enchanted household objects reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast—celebrating the studio’s animation legacy.
A notable creative choice sets this film apart from traditional Disney storytelling. Rather than treating these magical elements with reverence, protagonist Billie interacts with them playfully and irreverently, throwing them around and treating them casually. According to Hand, this reflects how the film modernizes Disney’s animation heritage: “That’s the kind of animation stuff we can do better than anybody, and so we love that, but we love that Billie is not going to treat these things with reverence.”
The project signals Disney’s dual strategy: leveraging its extensive animation catalog and established storytelling traditions while modernizing tone and character approaches for contemporary audiences. The film represents the studio’s effort to reconnect with the magic of hand-drawn animation from its golden era while introducing irreverent, millennial-friendly sensibilities.