Theme Park Scope

If there’s one thing the new trailer for Disney’s Hexed makes clear, it’s that this movie wants us to believe there are a lot of witches in the world. The film is set in Hexe, described as a vast witch realm, and Billie, played by Hailee Steinfeld, gets dropped right into the middle of it. So the natural question is: who exactly is she going to meet?

Let’s go through what’s confirmed, and I’ll be upfront about where the details run out.

First, the main witches and magical folks. Billie Doe is a 16-year-old who discovers she has secret magical abilities and is transported to Hexe. Her mother Alice, voiced by Rashida Jones, had suppressed those abilities since Billie was a child with a special bracelet, and she follows her daughter into Hexe. Jodie Foster voices Queen Celeste, the realm’s ruler, who Disney describes as the only other flying witch in Hexe, which makes her see Billie as a rival and a threat. Around them are Walton Goggins as Beef Roger Crummchuk, a reclusive three-eyed cat, Henry Winkler as Nigel, a skittish potoo bird, and Dan Stevens as Hieronymous, Celeste’s self-important Grand Councillor. There’s also Bucket, an enchanted cauldron who doesn’t speak, along with Quill, a feather quill pen voiced by Tracey Ullman, and Quire, a magical journal voiced by Stephen Fry, who both greet Billie at the entrance to Hexe.

Now the cameos, which is where it gets fun. The trailer announcement names a whole group of voice cameos: Cheri Oteri, Kathy Najimy, Wayne Knight, Alan Tudyk, Randall Park, Pat McAfee, Chris Parnell, Rachel Dratch, Ariana Madix and Yvette Nicole Brown, with others as well. That’s quite a lineup, and for a movie set in a world full of witches, it’s natural to wonder who’s playing whom.

The announcements I could find list these names as cameos but don’t say which characters they voice, and they don’t say whether any of them are playing witches. So while it’s tempting to line them up with witches in Hexe, I can’t confirm that, and I don’t want to guess. What I can say is that Kathy Najimy’s name will ring a bell for a lot of families, since she played Mary Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Whether that’s a deliberate wink in Hexed, we don’t know, and Disney hasn’t said. I’d treat it as a fun coincidence for now.

Beyond those names, additional voice cast members are listed, again without their roles, including Brett Gelman, Samson Kayo, Jimmy O. Yang, Ron Funches, Drew Galloway, Bill Farmer, Sarah-Nicole Robles, Kellie Gerardi, Abraham Benrubi and Josh Dallas. Their characters haven’t been spelled out in the announcements I found.

What about the mother-daughter story at the center of all of this? The filmmakers have been clear about it. Writer Jared Bush has said the film “wanted to be a mother-daughter story,” and that the connection between Alice and Billie was the team’s “North Star.” Billie finds her mother overprotective, and as the two travel through Hexe, long-buried family secrets come to light, giving a strained relationship a chance to heal. That’s a great hook for families, especially those with a teenager at home.

The filmmakers have described the movie as darker than a typical Disney animated film, with a playful sense of humor and a more menacing edge. One report described the violence as mild, with a crow defeated in a burst of purple goo, and the writer called it appropriate for a family audience. I haven’t seen an official rating announced, so check that before you decide whether it’s right for younger children.

As for timing, Hexed opens in U.S. theaters on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, and in UK cinemas on November 27, 2026.

I think a cameo-heavy cast is a smart move for a movie like this. Comedy voices like Cheri Oteri, Rachel Dratch, and Alan Tudyk are tailor-made for a world of eccentric witches, and a Hocus Pocus alum in the mix would be a lovely nod to the genre. But I’m keeping my expectations in check until we know who’s playing whom, because a cameo can be a few lines or a standout moment.

What I’m most curious about is how the witches of Hexe will feel as a community. Disney’s earlier witches have mostly been villains, so a realm where witches are a whole society, with a heroic one at the center, is a refreshing change. And the idea that a mother and daughter are the emotional core makes me think this one will land with grown-ups as much as kids.

If you’re planning a family trip to the theater, my advice is to check the rating once it’s announced, and maybe watch the trailer together first to see how your kids react. Then pick your favorite witch to root for.

Who are you most excited to hear in Hexe? And which cameo would you most want to be a witch? Let me know in the comments. And keep checking back with Theme Park Scope, because as soon as Disney reveals more about the cameo roles, you’ll find it here.