The Walt Disney Company returned to the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival with a packed slate of announcements, exclusive footage, screenings and project updates from its animation studios, highlighting the company’s continued investment in storytelling, innovation and global animation talent.
The showcase featured presentations from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, 20th Television Animation and Disney Kids & Family.

Representing Walt Disney Animation Studios, directors Fawn Veerasunthorn, Jason Hand and Malcon Pierce presented new details from the studio’s upcoming animated feature Hexed.

Set for theatrical release on November 25, 2026, the coming-of-age fantasy follows Billie, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, a teenager who discovers hidden magical powers and is thrust into a mystical witch realm known as Hexe. The film also stars Rashida Jones as Billie’s mother Alice.

Disney Animation also announced a new animated short, ‘Lilo & Scratch’, which will debut in theaters alongside ‘Hexed’. The short marks the first new Disney Animation project featuring ‘Stitch’ since the original ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and will feature returning voices from Chris Sanders and Maia Kealoha.

At Pixar’s presentation, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Enrico Casarosa unveiled fresh details from ‘Gatto’, an original animated adventure set in Venice, Italy.

The film follows Nero, a black cat voiced by Mark Ruffalo, who becomes entangled with a feline crime boss voiced by Laurence Fishburne. Directed by Casarosa and produced by Andrea Warren, ‘Gatto’ is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 5, 2027.

Pixar also announced a new short film titled ‘Loving Dory’, set in the world of Finding Nemo. Directed by Lou Hamou-Lhadj, the short follows ‘Dory’ as she develops an unusual attachment to what she believes is a jellyfish.

One of the festival’s major highlights came from Mike Judge, co-creator of ‘King of the Hill’, who received the Annecy Festival’s Honorary Cristal award in recognition of his contribution to animation.

Judge also presented an exclusive episode from the upcoming 15th season of ‘King of the Hill’ alongside co-creator Greg Daniels and showrunner Saladin Patterson.

Meanwhile, ‘The Simpsons’ was represented through a live drawing session hosted by Emmy-winning animator David Silverman.

Disney Kids & Family used the festival to reveal several new projects and updates, including previews of ‘Dragon Striker’, ‘Cars: Lightning Racer’s and ‘The Doomies’.

The company also announced new series orders for ‘Journey’ and ‘Warrior Cats’, alongside a holiday special titled ‘Mickey’s Home Alone’.

Additionally, Disney confirmed that the fourth season of ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ will be its final season and revealed a new stop-motion musical special, ‘A Proud Family Wizmas’, set to debut later this year.