Jodie Foster, Walton Goggins Join Disney's 'Hexed'
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- Jodie Foster and Walton Goggins joined Disney's animated "Hexed" as cast members, with Foster playing a "devious witch queen" — the announcement came at Disney's D23 fan event in Anaheim where Foster told the crowd "that's where my career began"
- "Hexed" follows a teenage oddball and her Type A mom who discovers hidden magic; Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones were previously announced as leads
- "Hexed" is being directed by Josie Trinidad (head of story on "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Zootopia") making her film directorial debut, alongside Jason Hand ("Moana 2" co-director); Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones are producing
- "Hexed" releases in theaters Nov. 25, taking Disney's Thanksgiving animation slot
- Disney's original-animation track record is "spotty" — this spring's "Hoppers" hit, but "Elio" and "Luca" struggled to draw crowds
- Disney's franchise backbone holds: "Toy Story 5" crossed $1 billion worldwide since its June 19 release, and "Zootopia 2" became the highest-grossing animated film of all time with $1.7 billion globally
Why it matters: Disney is putting its Thanksgiving slot (Nov. 25) behind an original animated film in a year where "Zootopia 2" earned $1.7 billion globally and "Toy Story 5" crossed $1 billion — while non-sequels like "Elio" and "Luca" struggled. Foster and Goggins' casting is the star-power insurance on Disney's biggest non-sequel bet in years.
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