Cartoon Brew reports that Disney screened more than 30 minutes of the still-in-progress movie at Italy's View Conference. Producer Yvett Merino said post-production was nearing completion, while some of the material shown still lacked final polish and music.
The preview opened with a hand-drawn sequence by animator Tyler Pacana, visually separate from the CG feature. It establishes Hexe as a refuge created by witches and wizards fleeing persecution, then shows Billie Doe as a baby whose uncontrolled powers put her in danger. Her mother, Alice, responds by giving Billie a bracelet that secretly suppresses her magic.
Protection becomes the problem
Fifteen years later, Billie is a rebellious teenager who feels trapped by rules she does not understand. Hailee Steinfeld voices Billie, while Rashida Jones plays Alice. Their conflict centers on a familiar parental bargain: Alice tries to keep her daughter safe, but that protection also keeps Billie from understanding herself.
The fantasy plot builds around that rift. Jodie Foster voices Queen Celeste, a ruler who sees Billie's rare ability to fly as a threat. Walton Goggins plays Beef Roger, Alice's former familiar, who reluctantly helps Billie rescue her mother. An enchanted, dog-like cauldron named Bucket joins them. The spectacle may be magical, but the story's engine is Billie learning that her mother's hidden past shaped both of their lives.
