Kieran Culkin to Voice Star in Disney Animation's 'Clay', Slated for November 2028

Kieran Culkin will voice star in Clay, a new Disney animated film announced on Friday at Disney's D23 fan event in Anaheim, California. Disney Animation's Jared Bush revealed the project, which is centred on a man chosen to mentor a moldable ball of clay that he must keep alive on a journey through a fantastical forest. The studio has set a November 2028 release date for the film. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Culkin arrives at Disney Animation on a considerable awards run. He won a best supporting actor Oscar and a Golden Globe in 2025 for A Real Pain, and previously collected an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his breakout role as Roman Roy in HBO's Succession. He is currently set to play Caesar Flickerman — the character Stanley Tucci portrayed in the original features — in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Culkin also has a role in Nancy Meyers' upcoming film for Warner Bros., expected in 2027. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Clay was not the only title Disney Animation unveiled at the D23 presentation. The studio announced Zootopia 3 and confirmed that Jodie Foster and Walton Goggins have joined lead Hailee Steinfeld in the voice cast of Hexed, another animated project in development. Pixar, Disney's sister studio, used the same stage to show off its upcoming Incredibles 3 and Coco 2. (The Hollywood Reporter)

D23, Disney's official fan club, is running a full week of events in Anaheim alongside the presentation. The schedule includes a member preview of a Walt Disney Archives exhibit on live-action reference modelling in animated films at the Muzeo museum, community nights at Bottle Logic Brewing and the Anaheim Packing District, a night at Angel Stadium where the Angels host the Texas Rangers, and a dedicated D23 Day at Disneyland Resort on August 13. (D23.com)

For audiences, Clay lands more than two years out — November 2028 is a long corridor even by Disney Animation's planning standards. What is clear now is the shape of it: a mentor story, a fantastical forest, a lead voice with an Oscar on the shelf, and a studio stacking its pipeline with sequels and originals alike.