New Disney Trailer Sparks Fan Worries Over TikTok’s Influence on Film Direction
Yesterday, a new trailer dropped for Hexed, the upcoming addition to Disney’s animated lineup, set to hit theaters on November 25. The film features Hailee Steinfeld as Billie, a teenage girl who uncovers her magical abilities and enters a realm of witches and wizards where she finally feels at home. While I’m not here to pass judgment on the film just yet, I did notice something peculiar about the action framing in the trailer. It seems I’m not alone in this observation; many fans have pointed out that the movie appears intentionally staged to keep the focus centralized, rather than creatively utilizing the entire frame. What could be the reasoning behind this choice? A lot of fans speculate it’s to ensure clips from Hexed can be easily shared on vertical video platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
In today’s landscape, social media plays a huge role in promoting movies and shows. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are flooded with videos not only from studios marketing films like Hexed but also from fans creating edits featuring their favorite characters set to trending sounds. Consequently, major studios like Disney often release vertical versions of their trailers, cropping scenes to convey the essence of a moment while sacrificing much of the original widescreen image. However, the shots in Hexed’s trailer seem designed to maintain clarity and focus, allowing for minimal loss of detail when adapted to a vertical format. Fans have already taken the initiative to crop the trailer for the typical vertical aspect ratio seen on TikTok or Instagram, and the majority of the content remains intact and clear.
Much has been said about Hexed keeping its focal point centered to facilitate easy vertical clip creation without losing key information. I decided to edit the trailer into that format, and only about three shots weren’t centered.
I don’t know about you, but this feels pretty disappointing. pic.twitter.com/Nzj7hzo9fD
— Daniel San GMR ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ (@DanielSanGMR) June 18, 2026
When you compare this trailer to that of Dreamworks’ upcoming animated feature Forgotten Island, it’s clear that the latter utilizes more of the screen space to tell its story. While there are certainly centered shots that would work well on an Instagram reel, Forgotten Island also showcases a wider variety of shot compositions.
Look at the difference, man, I’m crying. pic.twitter.com/qg7eNyQxKj
— ִֶָ (@mayorloftis) June 17, 2026
This isn’t entirely a new trend for Disney. As some have noted, Elio, Pixar’s underappreciated sci-fi misfire from last year, also centers its characters and action, leading fans to speculate that this is a shift aimed at appealing to influencers for free viral marketing through social media edits.
Overall, Hexed could still turn out to be a solid film, though Disney’s track record has been a bit shaky lately. However, this approach to shot framing is a clear indication of how movies are adapting to social media trends, prioritizing potential viral moments over artistic integrity. The prevalence of short-form vertical video on social media has negatively impacted a lot of creative expression and attention spans, and I hope future Disney films don’t all follow this trend.
As a side note, this isn’t entirely Disney’s fault, as generative AI models often mimic the character designs seen in Disney and Pixar films. Still, Hexed’s characters bear a striking resemblance to the AI-generated content we’ve seen in recent years. Here’s hoping the team can carve out a more distinct identity when Frozen 3 arrives in theaters next year.
