Pixar and Disney showed work-in-progress footage from their respective upcoming feature films Gatto and Hexed at Annecy International Animation Film Festival showcases.
With Pixar having launched Gatto at Annecy last year, director Enrico Casarosa took to the stage this time to show both completed and work-in-progress scenes, of the story about a black cat called Nero, who gets mixed up with a feline mob boss named Rocco.
“Nero has to fend for himself and he hasn’t had it easy, because he’s a black cat and everyone is superstitious. He also can’t swim,” said Casarosa.
Nero is tasked with stealing a violin for Rocco, but his efforts hit a stumbling block when he meets Maya, owner of the instrument. “As they start spending time together, they discover they have a lot in common – which threatens Nero’s mission. The big question is: Will he betray here or defy Rocco?” said the director.
Mark Ruffalo and Laurence Fishbourne are among the voice cast, with Casarosa voicing Saverio, a pigeon who is a member of a union campaigning for pigeon rights. The film is scheduled for release on March 5, 2027, through Pixar owner Disney.
The separate Disney showcase revealed work-in-progress footage from Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand’s Hexed, which will hit cinemas on November 25, 2026. The film follows Billie, an awkward teenager who discovers that she has magical powers, and then encounters a hidden world.
“Billie’s powers are wonderful, but they invite danger,” said Hand, with the teenager meeting characters including Beef Roger Crummchuk, a three-eyed cat. “He’s a bit of a drinker, but in a Disney magical way,” said Veerasunthorn. “She’s able to convince him to help her and to rescue her mum.”
Hailee Steinfeld leads the voice cast, alongside Rashida Jones, Alan Tudyk, Jodie Foster, Walton Goggins, Stephen Fry and Tracey Ullman.
Shorts
Both studios also teased new short films from the worlds of pre-existing franchises, with Pixar showing work-in-progress footage from Loving Dory.
Set in the Finding Nemo world, it sees blue tang fish Dory, again voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, fall in love with a plastic bag floating in the sea.
Disney announced Lilo & Scratch, a new short in the Lilo & Stitch world that takes place shortly after the first film, and sees Lilo bring home a new cat, which turns out to be an alien. Lilo & Scratch will play theatrically alongside screenings of Hexed; the Annecy audience was shown the first two minutes of the film, which has animation legend Chris Sanders again voicing the blue alien Stitch and Maia Kealoha returning from 2025 live-action feature Lilo & Stitch to voice Lilo.
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