Disney Confirms End of Animation Sequel Era, Return to Original Stories

As D23 Expo 2026 comes to a close, many Disney fans feel like the company is finally listening. After all, Walt Disney Imagineers announced that they’re finally fixing the broken Yeti audio-animatronic on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and they’re bringing Dreamfinder back to Journey Into Imagination With Figment at EPCOT. But an announcement at Friday night’s Disney Entertainment Showcase revealed that the movie side of the business is also paying attention to fans who want new original stories instead of repetitive sequels and recycled live-action remakes.

New Disney Movie is an Original Story

Sure, Walt Disney Studios did share news about a lot of sequels, including Coco 2 (2029), Incredibles 3 (2028), Frozen 3 (2027), Zootopia 3 (release date unconfirmed), and the live-action Lilo & Stitch 2 (2028). But buried in the news about those popular franchises was an announcement about an all-new, original movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios: Clay (2028).

Clay will star Kieran Culkin as a man (Flip) selected to be a mentor to a young, living ball of clay (Mushy), following the pair as they embark on a journey through a fantastical forest. Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jared Bush, also confirmed that the film will premiere in November 2028, though he did not announce an exact release date.

After the Disney Entertainment Showcase on Friday night, Disney Animation shared concept art of Flip and Mushy in the fantastical forest on X (formerly known as Twitter):

Meet Flip and Mushy from Disney’s Clay, starring Kieran Culkin, in this new concept art and coming to theaters November 2028. #D23

Meet Flip and Mushy from Disney's Clay, starring Kieran Culkin, in this new concept art and coming to theaters November 2028. #D23 pic.twitter.com/A6nA6vzJHs

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) August 15, 2026

Can’t Wait For Clay (2028)?

Fans eager for original Disney films don’t have to wait over two years for Clay. At D23 Expo, Walt Disney Animation Studios also shared a first look at the previously announced Hexed, which premieres in theaters on November 25, 2026.

 

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What do you think about the concept for Clay? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments! 

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