Kieran Culkin will lend his voice to Flip, a reluctant mentor paired with a living ball of clay, in an original animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios set for release on November 22, 2028. The studio unveiled the project, titled “Clay,” during its Entertainment Showcase at the D23 fan event in Anaheim on Friday night.
Chief creative officer Jared Bush introduced the film by pointing to Disney’s history of mentor figures such as Merlin and Phil from “Hercules,” then posed a question that shaped the premise: what happens when the mentor is bad at the job? Flip, voiced by Culkin, gets assigned to guide Mushi, a newly formed clay creature born during an annual village ritual. He tries to flee. Mushi follows. What starts as an attempt to dodge responsibility turns into a shared trek through a forest neither character fully understands.
Fawn Veerasunthorn, who is also directing the Thanksgiving release “Hexed,” will direct “Clay.” Concept art shown at the panel depicted Flip alongside his clay companion, giving fans their first visual sense of the film’s tone and character design.
Culkin arrives at the project fresh off a run of major honors. He won the Oscar and Golden Globe for best supporting actor in 2025 for “A Real Pain,” adding to an Emmy and Globe he earned for playing Roman Roy on “Succession.” His upcoming slate includes “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” where he takes on the role of Caesar Flickerman, previously played by Stanley Tucci, and a Warner Bros. film from director Nancy Meyers expected in 2027.
“Clay” was one of several animation announcements at the showcase. Disney also confirmed a third “Zootopia” installment and revealed that Jodie Foster and Walton Goggins have joined Hailee Steinfeld in the voice cast of “Hexed,” Foster’s first Disney animated role. Executives gave no plot details beyond the mentor-and-clay premise, leaving casting for Mushi and other characters unannounced.
