Hexed

[Dis2d]

keeping an open mind but this is clearly another Disney Animation or Pixar movie that is self-insert from directors.

so Trinidad is a Filipino and according to reports so are the characters. If one looks at her wiki page, says that she lives in LA with her son. The focus is on a mother and her son.

hopefully its good.

[BloomHunter]

Don't you dare to cancel this one Disney!!!
Looks inviting and whimsical.

[Disney's Divinity]

I love the logo--I suppose it made me think of FernGully between the greenery and "Hex-"--and the concept art is nice*, but I'm not sure about the synopsis. Here's hoping though. On the surface, it reminds me (very) vaguely of Tangled as far as the title and an oddball protagonist with magical powers whose main relationship is with a mother. Wonder if the character will turn out to have been stolen by the mother from this other world and she's the villain?

At least it's a male-driven film that's both magical and colorful, that's something. Really hoping it's a musical, too. I can't see Miranda on this at all. Hopefully it would be the Lopezes or P&P (or someone new who's Broadway, too).

* Looks like the Cheshire Cat may have a sibling soon.

[The Disneynerd]

Well, the concept art is nice enough, i like the exaggerated shapes and overall it looks like as if Encanto, Coco and Wonderland had a 3some
Im more worried about the plot synopsis...another insecure teenager who is quirky with powers sounds like a character description ive heard billion times already, atleast a mother/son conflictbeing the coreof the story seems refreshing enough....but besodes that Hexed seems like Disneys attempt to milk the Owl Houses success tbh.

[Kyle]

I know this isn't the case at all, but this whole project just feels like what chatgpt would spit out, conceptually. like if you fed it brave tanged, and onward as examples and told it to continue in that same vein. Nothing feels inspired at all about this.

[Patricier21]

I know this isn't the case at all, but this whole project just feels like what chatgpt would spit out, conceptually. like if you fed it brave tanged, and onward as examples and told it to continue in that same vein. Nothing feels inspired at all about this.

With all due respect, it seems as though you and a lot of people always seem to think that these days whenever a new project comes up. And it’s because of you and others that a lot of recent movies have not been doing that well. Yes, you can say a lot of other things about them and it’s of course not exclusively just you, but with this kind of mindset and you’re spreading of it, that’s also what’s caused a lot of these recent movies to fail, including Elio with a lot of people here and other places like, but of course for this Reason which is a more prominent one than you might realize it failed, and this and others may very well continue to fail if this kind of thing continues……

[robster16]

The overly repeated trope of magic powers or lack there of that makes someone stand out but should be embraced because it gives you something unique is becoming very tiresome. We've seen it to some extent in Wish, Encanto, Frozen, Frozen II, Luca, Turning Red, Onward and to a lesser extent more focused on social misfits in Moana, Elio, Strange World.

It's like Disney is only able to tell stories about being a misfit and learning to embrace what makes you unique as your superpower, all within the construct of conflict with a parental figure (Encanto, Luca, Turning Red, Onward, Strange World, Frozen II, Elemental, etc)

I mean, I'd highly welcome it if Disney were to make another genre movie with a distinct plot that doesn't primarily lean on being the social outcast with parental conflicts. Just make a good fairytale adventure or would it kill them to add a love interest in any of their films? It's becoming way too formulaic, where as the Disney Renaissance wasn't afraid to tell actual stories with varied backgrounds, plot points and structure.

Maybe they'll prove me wrong with the tone and style of the movie as the concept artwork does evoke a certain Mary Blair infused classic Disney sensibility, but I'll have to see how it translates into finalized designs.

I had hoped they would have picked a fairytale as their next animated feature, something like "The Six Servants", "Rumpelstiltskin", "The Six Swans", "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" or "Bluebeard"...

[UmbrellaFish]

robster16, I agree with your overall sentiment that the films from the Revival era and what we’re seeing now tend to be formulaic. I’m also getting tired of the constant family conflict plots and the superpowerification of characters’ magic.

That said, I have to disagree with you a bit when it comes to the social misfit archetype and the idea that the Renaissance era films were necessarily more creative than the current era. The Renaissance is my favorite era of Disney animation, but I’d argue that most of those films follow a pretty similar plot structure themselves. And if we look at many of the main characters—Ariel, Belle, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Quasimodo, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan—they were all social misfits in some way. To me, that protagonist-as-misfit archetype feels quintessentially Disney.

Variety is the spice of life, I’m open to change and innovation, but if they abandoned this trope for as long as they’ve abandoned love interests now, I know I would feel something was missing from their films.

[PatchofBlue]

I think any set of films within a certain framework--particularly a certain timeframe--are inevitably going to have similarities because they are emerging from the same ecosystem under very similar conditions. Trying to glean what those connections are I think helps reveal a throughline that says something about the world in which these movies were made.

The outcast parade in the 90s, for example, was very much an outgrowth of Howard Ashman and his experience as a gay man living through the AIDS epidemic. It makes sense that all of his films, and those immediately following, spoke to a world where outcasts were learning to step into the sun. I don't necessarily see that as "formulaic" so much as ... these were just conversations that the world needed to have.

And I think once you figure out what those patterns are, it opens the door to figure out what parts of the design vary between outings (Renaissance Disney took inspiration from classical literature, historical figures, greek mythology, fairy-tales, folk tales, etc.) and that's part of what makes discussing a film so fun.

Seeing how aggressive the generational divisions are these days, it doesn't surprise me that so many recent stories from Disney or Pixar deal directly with conflicts between parents and children or the young and the old. I can understand where these ideas come from.

In this current revival era, one template I'm kind of happy that we've moved away from has been pairing the wide-eyed, idealistic girl with the grumpy, cynical dude. Straight from Tangled (maybe even Princess and the Frog?) and all the way to Moana, that was just the basis for every story. I think that starting point was useful toward the beginning of the revival when they were trying to bargain with the larger audience to start watching Disney movies again, but ... I am glad that eventually we started finding other personalities for our protagonists and other ways of expressing gender.

But yeah ... they've been away from romances long enough, now. They can give that machine a try again.

[Kyle]

With all due respect, it seems as though you and a lot of people always seem to think that these days whenever a new project comes up. And it’s because of you and others that a lot of recent movies have not been doing that well. Yes, you can say a lot of other things about them and it’s of course not exclusively just you, but with this kind of mindset and you’re spreading of it, that’s also what’s caused a lot of these recent movies to fail, including Elio with a lot of people here and other places like, but of course for this Reason which is a more prominent one than you might realize it failed, and this and others may very well continue to fail if this kind of thing continues……

This is not on me or those who think like me. There are so many other types of stories out there to tell, ones that even the writers under Disney have, but they are green lighting ideas doomed to fail in my opinion. I want original ideas as much as anyone, which is why when something doesn't actually sound original, I'm not going to be as interested. Even the concept art looks bad imo. I kinda hope this gets shelved. not in favor of a sequel, but something that sounds more interesting.

[Farerb]

I don't think there'll ever be a new movie that's going to excite me, but this one sounds like I will at least enjoy it somewhat with this having a fantasy setting and witches and magic, but I also thought I would like Encanto and Wish and ended up being disappointed with both of them (admittedly I don't think Encanto is bad but I don't think it's a remarkable film like most Disney's fans).

[Sotiris]

Concept art in a better angle.

The artwork is by Lorelay Bove who's working on the film as a production designer. I hope the actual movie isn't as stylized and angular as the concept art seems to indicate.

However, it`s interesting to know the setting of the story, which country it will be set in.

I think it will be set in present-day America. At least, the normal, non-magical world.

This is clearly another Disney Animation or Pixar movie that is self-insert from directors. So Trinidad is a Filipino and according to reports so are the characters. If one looks at her wiki page, says that she lives in LA with her son. The focus is on a mother and her son.

I think the mother character is white given she's blonde in the concept art. WDAS seems to be on a trend lately with films featuring interracial families like Encanto, Strange World, and Wish. But you're right in that WDAS is now making movies based on the directors' personal lives and experiences. Maybe it's because they moved away from doing adaptations. They haven't done one since Big Hero 6 or Moana, depending on your point of view.

Really hoping it's a musical, too.

I don't think it's going to be a musical.

Overall it looks like as if Encanto, Coco and Wonderland had a 3some

That's...a fitting description.

The overly repeated trope of magic powers or lack there of that makes someone stand out but should be embraced because it gives you something unique is becoming very tiresome. It's like Disney is only able to tell stories about being a misfit and learning to embrace what makes you unique as your superpower, all within the construct of conflict with a parental figure.

You are not wrong. It's certainly a trope that has worn out its welcome. Jared Bush said that the film is "about the magic that can be found in being different, and how families navigate that together," so you can expect more of the same.

I want original ideas as much as anyone, which is why when something doesn't actually sound original, I'm not going to be as interested. Even the concept art looks bad imo. I kinda hope this gets shelved. not in favor of a sequel, but something that sounds more interesting.

Agreed. Neither the concept nor the artwork have sparked my interest. Like most Disney fans, I, too, enjoy fantastical settings and magic, but for me, that alone isn't enough.

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, I love Bove. I'm glad if they're involving her with design at WDAS.

I agree, I doubt it will be a musical. I just hope so. I can't see this being some kind of R&B whatever like with LMM in any case, so I could only see P&P, the Lopezes, or someone new.

[nomad2010]

Truly surprised no one has picked up on this looking like Disney’s attempt at its own Over the Garden Wall. The artwork and design looks similar. Similar premise just with added magic.

[Disney's Divinity]

^ I see it. I wouldn't be mad at all if this had a similar vibe to that (to whatever degree). Seems sometimes like WDAS and PIXAR are looking at outside animation sources for ideas a lot these days. Raya of course had a great deal of inspiration from Avatar / Korra. And watching Elio the other day, the scene with Elio and the clone feels straight out of the last episode of Steven Universe and then I started thinking a lot of things about the story feel like vague inspiration from SU, too.

Too bad they can't look at their successful old films like TLM, B&tB, Frozen, Aladdin, Cinderella, etc. and get inspired instead.

[Farerb]

Jared Bush was asked if Hexed is a musical and the answer is that it isn't:


https://x.com/thejaredbush/status/19749 ... 84RSQ&s=19

He also said the film will have a villain:

https://x.com/thejaredbush/status/19749 ... PE5wQ&s=19

[PatchofBlue]

^Define "villain," though.

Anyways, I'm thinking this is also one of those rare representations of a mother-son relationship in Disney. I feel like it's one of those pairings that doesn't get a lot of coverage. Mother/daughter, sure. Father/son, yes. Even Father/daughter, absolutely. But when I think about mother/son, I go mostly to Tarzan, where it was kind of the supporting storyline, or else something like Dumbo or Bambi.

I suppose it's not typically seen as necessary or "manly" for a male child to be reconciled to his female parent, the way it is for a son or a daughter to follow in their father's footsteps, so I'm intrigued to see them expanding the tent just a little.

[Sotiris]

We figured out it's not going to be a musical based on concept alone. As for there being a villain, given Disney's recent track record, I don't have any faith they can actually pull off a good, traditional villain.

[DisneyFan09]

We figured out it's not going to be a musical based on concept alone. As for there being a villain, given Disney's recent track record, I don't have any faith they can actually pull off a good, traditional villain.

Well, it wasn`t surprising at all that it wasn`t going to be a traditional musical by any means. As for the villain, Disney haven`t been able to give us a great villain anymore. Even Magnifico from Wish, which was tutored to be a return to the great villains, wasn`t particularly memorable. He was a passable villain, but not a great one.