Hexed switched to a mother-daughter witch story. Disney’s done that before

Jared Bush says Disney’s Hexed changed its lead from a boy to a girl because a mother-daughter story felt right. But witch moms and daughters, and Disney mother-daughter tales, are nothing new.

Disney’s Hexed didn’t always star a girl.

When Walt Disney Animation Studios first announced the movie in August 2025, it was about a “socially awkward teenage boy“ who finds out he has magical powers, according to Cartoon Brew. His mom gets swept up in the discovery, too.

Now the hero is Billie Doe, a teenage witch voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, with Rashida Jones as her mom, Alice. Hexed hits theaters Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Why did Disney change the lead in Hexed?

Because of the witches, according to Jared Bush, the movie’s co-writer and Disney Animation’s chief creative officer.

“We knew this was going to be a world of magic and witches specifically,” Bush said. That led the team to take a hard look at the parent and child at the center of the story.

Bush said the two characters don’t fully see or understand each other yet. “Having it be a mother and daughter made so much sense for this world,” he said.

He also told CinemaBlend the switch is one of the “big swings“ Disney Animation takes all the time. “It’s actually the norm for us,” Bush said, according to DiscussingFilm.

Is a mother-daughter story new for Disney?

Not at all. Disney and Pixar have built some of their best-known movies around moms and daughters.

Pixar’s Brave (2012) is all about Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor. Pixar’s Turning Red (2022) centers on Mei and her overprotective mom, Ming.

Disney has also made the mother-daughter body swap Freaky Friday twice, in 1976 and 2003, plus the 2025 sequel Freakier Friday. Even Tangled is built around Rapunzel and the woman pretending to be her mother.

So while Bush’s change may help the story, it moves Hexed onto ground Disney has covered many times.

Have other movies and shows told witch mother-daughter stories?

Lots of them, which is why Bush’s “witches specifically” reasoning sounds so familiar. Disney Channel’s own Halloweentown (1998) follows Marnie, a teen who learns she’s a witch, along with her mom, Gwen, and her grandma, Aggie.

The classic sitcom Bewitched featured the witch Samantha, her witch mother, Endora, and later Samantha’s daughter, Tabitha.

Practical Magic mixes witch sisters, aunts and daughters. Its sequel, Practical Magic 2, opened in theaters on Sept. 11, according to The Numbers.

And Sabrina the Teenage Witch followed a teen who discovers her powers on her 16th birthday, though Sabrina was raised by her aunts, not her mom.

Would a mother-son witch story have stood out more?

Some fans think so. Stories about boys discovering magic often lean on the famous one: Harry Potter. CinemaBlend pointed out that the new HBO Harry Potter series arrives about a month after Hexed.

But a story centered on a witch mom and her son would have been rarer. One commenter on the DiscussingFilm post said they wished Disney would make a full mother-son story from beginning to end.

What is Hexed about?

Billie finds out she’s a witch after her mom spent years hiding it from her with an enchanted bracelet. She heads into a secret witch world called Hexe, and her mom ends up tagging along, CinemaBlend reported.

Jodie Foster voices the villain, Queen Celeste. Walton Goggins plays a retired cat familiar named Beef Roger.

Who made Hexed?

Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand direct, with Josie Trinidad as co-director, according to WDW News Today. Bush wrote the film with Dana Ledoux Miller.

Bush says he hopes parents see themselves on screen. “This feels like me and my child,” he said of the reaction he hopes for.

Does the change hurt Hexed?

Not necessarily. Plenty of great movies use familiar setups. CinemaBlend, which saw scenes early, called the story between Billie and Alice resonant and emotional.

The bigger question is whether Hexed can feel fresh in a crowded field of witchy moms and daughters. Fans will find out on Nov. 25.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• CinemaBlend, Sarah El-Mahmoud (Oct. 12, 2026), Jared Bush’s comments on the lead change, the plot and the Harry Potter series timing

• DiscussingFilm on Threads (Oct. 15, 2026), Bush’s “it’s actually the norm for us” quote and fan reaction

• Jared Bush, Hexed press interview (Oct. 2026), the “witches specifically” and “mother and daughter” quotes

• Cartoon Brew (Aug. 30, 2025), the original Hexed logline

• WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 13, 2026), the release date, filmmakers and Bush’s “me and my child” quote

• The Numbers (Oct. 2026), the Practical Magic 2 release date

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