Disney is gearing up for another animated film to hit theaters later this year, and we’ve got a feeling we’re about to walk out of the theater with tear tracks down our faces.

At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event this past August, we learned more about the casting for this upcoming film, as well as got a look at some of the designs for the characters and the world. Disney showed the first public scenes from the film back in June, and now, we’ve got even MORE details about this upcoming film, which releases on November 25th, 2026. What we’ve taken away from it all is this — you’re going to want to bring your tissues.

Recent interviews with the creative team behind the film have revealed just how much the family dynamic and the relationship between mother and daughter are important to this story. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush stated that it became clear during the process that the team wanted this to be a mother-daughter story, and that they wanted to make sure “that their relationship was actually the star of the film.” Bush continued on to say that the hope is that both parents and kids will watch the film and understand where each other is coming from. For kids, it may be realizing what their parents are experiencing, and for the parents, it may be remembering what it was like to be a teenager.

He continued on, saying that getting to that point in the film took a lot of intense questioning, such as asking, “Does this feel true to life? Is this as emotional as it could be? And, as you’re watching it, do you believe it?” He described the lock-in between our main characters, mom Alice and teenager Billie, as a “North Star,” stating that once they really dug into why the characters’ communication styles weren’t cohesive with one another and why they were facing the issues they were is when the story got fun, as it allowed them the freedom to really figure out that dynamic.

Dana Ledoux Miller, one of the writers of the film, also talked about how while the film takes place in a fantasy world, the story is grounded in genuine, deep emotion. She continued, saying, “We’re here to create Disney magic, where people are going to laugh and they’re going to feel something. As long as we’re tracking that, then that’s our North Star. We’re having fun together, and that’s where the great writing comes in.” When talking about the characters specifically, she speaks of how the team found themselves rooting for Alice in the early stages of the process, as both she herself and director Fawn Veerasunthorn are both parents, so they understood her point of view. Tapping into Billie’s younger mindset forced them to remember how it felt to be an early teenager so that audiences can find themselves understanding Billie on a deep level.

Jason Hand, who also directed the film, mentioned that filmmakers pulled from their own experiences as parents to tell the story, saying, “There are reasons. For Billie to discover what those reasons are, why Alice chose the things she chose, is really fascinating. It’s something we can all relate to in our own lives — finding out something about your parents you maybe didn’t know, like what they wanted to do but never chase. And that makes this a very human story in a very fantastical world.” The interview also revealed that Rashida Jones, who voices Alice, was cast first, and Hailee Steinfeld, who voices Billie, was cast later. Roy Conli, one of the producers of the film, called their performances “so beautiful” and mentioned the “symbiosis” between them. The team really thinks that both parents and kids will really enjoy this film, seeing as both perspectives are so deeply explored.

When talking about the world created in the film, artists from nearly every department took extra time and care to ” develop a system of tactile magic largely influenced by nature, set within a vast, colorful realm.” The audience will be discovering the world of Hexe through Billie’s eyes, and we’ll be learning about the world of magic right alongside her. Jason Hand is quoted saying, “She [Billie] knows all about witches and magic from our human, contemporary world. So, we decided, ‘Let’s lean into that — and then let’s twist her expectations.‘” The magic in Hexe also comes from within the person themselves, so the witch or wizard themselves is a key component of every spell. This means that the team had to figure out what magic looks like for each character, and we’ll also get to see some Easter Eggs to past Disney films in the magic of the realm as well, like the enchanted feather quill pen Quill (voiced by Tracey Ullman) and the magical journal Quire (voiced by Stephen Fry), who greet Billie at the entrance to Hexe.

The idea that every witch or wizard has their own unique magic is a very important part of the film, and a strong metaphor, with Veerasunthorn saying that the real magic of the film “is your potential. It’s up to you how you manifest it, what you choose to do with it, whether it’s for good or evil.”

Want to see more of what happened at D23 when we were there? Check out our video below!

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Disney media news, so stay tuned to DFB!

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Are you looking forward to this film? Tell us in the comments!