Hexed lands in US cinemas on November 25, and early projections suggest it’s aiming to outperform Encanto at the Thanksgiving box office. The Disney original animation is tracking for a $35 million to $45 million three-day opening in North America — well above Encanto’s $27.2 million debut. Over the five-day holiday stretch, estimates climb to $50 million to $70 million, which would make it the strongest opening for a Disney original animated film since Wish and possibly the biggest since Strange World.

The film, directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand, follows Billie, an impulsive teenager who discovers magical abilities after being expelled from school. She journeys into Hexe, a realm of witches, alongside her cautious mother, Alice, as they uncover long-buried family secrets tied to witchcraft. The voice cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Rashida Jones, Jodie Foster, Walton Goggins, Tracey Ullman, Stephen Fry, Henry Winkler, Dan Stevens, Brett Gelman, and Samson Kayo.

The film’s success hinges on audience reception and word-of-mouth, especially after Hoppers, a similar original animation released earlier this year, had strong hold but underperformed. While Encanto went on to gross $96.1 million domestically, its initial opening was modest. If Hexed delivers strong repeat value and positive buzz, it could replicate that trajectory.

But the real test lies not just in the opening weekend, but in how long it holds on screens. The clock starts ticking on Thursday morning. One thing’s certain, Disney’s hoping this spell sticks.