Disney Is Officially Changing Its Award-Winning Animation Formula for Upcoming Movie

Disney has spent generations establishing an animation style that audiences can recognize before a character even says a word. That history also makes every departure interesting, especially when a new movie offers the studio an opportunity to experiment. Its upcoming original feature, Clay, has an especially fitting premise for exploring a different look.

Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn, the movie follows Flip, a reluctant mentor voiced by Kieran Culkin, whose assignment to guide a young ball of clay named Mushy sends them into an unexpected adventure. Disney announced the project at D23, with a theatrical release planned for 2028. The story takes place in a magical forest, giving its filmmakers an entirely new world to build.

Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush addressed reports that Clay resembles claymation. “Yeah. Someone told you right,” he confirmed. “I’d say Clay is, I think, going to be the first time that we’ve really taken a big swing in terms of a new art style. Something that we talk about a lot in our films is, ‘Should we change the look of our movies, and why does it make sense? Is it something that will add to the story?’” Bush continued with an explanation of the movie’s world and its visual approach:

“Clay is set in a world where, in this community, you are born as a ball of clay, and you are shaped by a parental figure and mentor into who you’re supposed to be. So the fact that this is going to feel tactile, it’s going to feel like claymation in terms of making it feel like this very real, touchable place is important to us. It won’t be stop-motion. It will be CG animation, but it will look unlike anything we’ve ever done.”

What Convinced Jared Bush To Move Forward With ‘Clay’?

Asked what earned the project its place on Disney’s schedule, Bush pointed to its director. “It is the passion of Fawn Veerasunthorn,” he said. “She is one of the directors of Hexed. She’s actually one of the directors of the Lilo & Scratch short that’s on the front of Hexed.” He then discussed Veerasunthorn’s pitch and its connection to her life:

“She pitched me this very original world that’s centered on this parental mentor dynamic, with a character that doesn’t want to be a role model to anybody. She really based that off of her own life, becoming a mother and worrying, ‘How am I going to parent a kid? Do I believe in myself enough that I could be of value to this person’s life?’ And it’s something that I think a lot of us struggle with, whether that’s as a new parent or in a work environment — can I help those around me?

It was the emotion of that story that, to me, grabbed me the most, and then the way that she applied that very universal struggle to this world and made the entire world revolve around that concept. So, I think in terms of how do movies come to be, especially new art styles, to me it’s a perfect example of why this movie has to look different, why it will be better than that, but at its heart, it’ll be this universal human story that everyone can relate to.”

Speaking about what we can expect from Clay, Bush referenced Hexed as a good example of the endless possibilities ahead with Clay. “It is not currently a musical. But I’d say Hexed is a good example. Hexed is not a musical, but I think for the first time, we have six needle drops in it. We don’t ever do that. So, I’d say that the approach to Clay could be many things,” explained Bush. With the release still ahead, Weintraub also asked where the production currently stands. “Right now, we are actually about to have a screening, which is exciting,” Bush revealed. “Building characters, building out the world, but still very much experimenting.” He continued:

“I think that something that I came to understand, one of the real special parts about Disney Animation, is early on, you’re just exploring. You’re not trying to hone the perfect movie. You’re actually trying a lot of different paths. You have this luxury of taking big swings, which is, I think, what Fawn’s been able to do.”

Clay is scheduled to premiere in theaters in 2028. Stay tuned to Collider for more.

Release Date

November 22, 2028

Director

Fawn Veerasunthorn

Producers

Peter Del Vecho