A New Short and a New World: 'Lilo & Scratch' and 'Hexed' Have Disney Animation Fans Buzzing
At the Annecy festival, Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed Lilo & Scratch — a surprise theatrical short reuniting fans with Stitch — and shared a first look at Hexed, its 65th animated feature led by Hailee Steinfeld. Both reach theaters in late 2026 ahead of an eventual Disney+ home.
Disney Animation fans got a one-two punch out of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival: a surprise theatrical short called Lilo & Scratch that brings Stitch back to the screen, and a first look at Hexed, the studio's 65th animated feature. Both titles are bound for theaters this fall before an eventual streaming home.
Key Details
- The Short: Lilo & Scratch — Disney Animation's first theatrical short in five years
- Stitch's Voice: Chris Sanders returns; Maia Kealoha voices Lilo
- The Feature: Hexed, the studio's 65th animated film, led by Hailee Steinfeld as Billie
- In Theaters: Short arrives fall 2026; Hexed opens November 25, 2026
- Then Streaming: Both expected on Disney+ after their theatrical runs
The Buzz
Stitch is one of Disney's most-streamed characters, so word of a brand-new short set him trending instantly. Variety reported the reveal live from Annecy — and with multiple trade outlets covering the presentation, the first footage from both projects is already spreading fast among animation fans.
Stitch and a Troublemaking Cat in 'Lilo & Scratch'
The surprise of the showcase was Lilo & Scratch, a new theatrical short. "For the first time in five years, we have a new theatrical short," said director Fawn Veerasunthorn. The story takes place shortly after the first film: Stitch is doing just fine with his new family, until Lilo brings home a new family member — a cat. What follows is, in the studio's words, a "wild, chaotic chase around the island."
Chris Sanders, the original voice of Stitch, returns to the role, with Maia Kealoha voicing Lilo. Walt Disney Animation Studios' Malcon Pierce showed the audience the short's first two minutes and promised "the kind of mayhem we love with this character." The short is set to be released in fall 2026.
Inside 'Hexed,' the Studio's 65th Animated Feature
The team also presented first work-in-progress footage from Hexed, which director Jason Hand confirmed is Disney Animation's "65th animated film." It follows Billie, a rebellious teenager who discovers magical powers she was raised to suppress — her mother gave her a bracelet as a child to keep her from opening dangerous portals. When an accident finally reveals her true nature, Billie is pulled into Hexe, a realm of witches with its own unfamiliar rules.
Hailee Steinfeld voices Billie, alongside Rashida Jones, Tracey Ullman, Alan Tudyk and Stephen Fry. In Hexe, Billie befriends a sharp-tongued cat named Beef Roger Crummchuk. The directors describe the film as, at heart, "a mother-daughter love story" — and a chance to build a Disney heroine who is anything but the studio's usual "noble" lead.
What This Means for Disney+ Fans
For streaming-first households, the takeaway is simple: a new Stitch story and an ambitious original feature are on the way, and both will eventually land on Disney+ after their theatrical windows. Hexed opens in theaters November 25, 2026, with Lilo & Scratch running alongside it — giving animation fans two reasons to mark the calendar before adding them to their watchlists.