Kieran Culkin Voiced as Flip in Disney Animation's 'Clay', Heading to Theatres in November 2028

Kieran Culkin will voice the lead character Flip in Clay, a new original film from Walt Disney Animation Studios set for theatrical release in November 2028. Disney announced the project at its D23 fan event on Friday night, part of the studio's Entertainment Showcase. (Deadline)

Culkin is an Oscar and Emmy winner. He won his Oscar for the film A Real Pain and his Emmy for playing Roman Roy on HBO's Succession. Clay marks his first leading voice role in a Disney animated feature.

Walt Disney Animation chief Jared Bush described Flip as a character who "might be a little in over his head." In the story, Flip is assigned a first student named Mushi — a literal ball of clay born at that very moment. Flip must keep Mushi alive on a journey through a fantastical forest. (Deadline)

That premise gives Clay the shape of a mentor-and-charge adventure, with a protagonist whose job is protection rather than conquest. Bush's framing — a teacher who may not be ready for the task — suggests the film's tension will live in that gap between responsibility and readiness.

D23, Disney's three-day fan event, is where the studio traditionally unveils its upcoming slate. The 2026 edition's programming also includes a Muppets songbook celebration with Seth MacFarlane and a new documentary from Leslie Iwerks. (AWN)

For audiences, Clay adds an original title to Disney Animation's late-decade pipeline — one built around a freshly created world rather than an existing franchise. A November 2028 release places it squarely in Disney's holiday-season corridor, the same window that has carried previous animated tentpoles.

Production details beyond the voice casting, release date and premise have not yet been disclosed. No director, additional cast members or animation team have been named publicly.