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Disney Is Officially Changing Its Award-Winning Animation Formula for Upcoming Movie
Disney is taking a major visual departure with *Clay*, its upcoming animated feature, which will use a clay-like style to support the story’s tactile world. Chief creative officer Jared Bush said it will be the studio’s first major swing towards a new art style, while remaining computer-generated rather than stop-motion.
Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn, the film follows Flip, a reluctant mentor voiced by Kieran Culkin, as he guides Mushy, a young ball of clay, through a magical forest. In the film’s community, clay characters are shaped by parental figures and mentors; Veerasunthorn drew on her own experience of becoming a parent to explore doubts about guiding someone else. Disney announced the original film at D23 and plans a theatrical release in 2028.
In short
- Disney’s *Clay* will use a new, tactile visual style.
- The film will be CG animation, not stop-motion.
- It is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and due in 2028.
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The case for
A clay-like look could give Clay a distinctive visual identity and make its tactile world feel closely tied to the story of characters shaped by mentors and parents. A fresh style may also broaden what audiences expect from computer-generated animation and give Disney’s artists room to experiment while retaining the benefits of digital production.
The case against
A departure from Disney’s familiar animation style carries creative and commercial risks: audiences may find the look less appealing, or it may not serve the story as intended. Some may also worry that a new visual approach distracts from character and storytelling, or that the clay-like effect feels less authentic than stop-motion because it is computer-generated.
Explained simply
Disney’s animated films are usually made with computer-generated imagery, which creates characters and settings digitally. For Clay, the studio is using that technology to give the film a clay-like look, while keeping the animation computer-generated rather than making figures from clay and filming them frame by frame.
The story centres on Flip, a reluctant mentor, and Mushy, a young ball of clay, as they travel through a magical forest. In their community, older figures help shape younger clay characters, giving the film a way to explore the responsibilities and uncertainties of guiding someone else.
The film is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and features Kieran Culkin as Flip. Its planned cinema release is in 2028, and its visual approach marks a new direction for a major Disney animated feature.