Kieran Culkin, the Emmy and Oscar-winning actor behind Succession's Roman Roy, joins Disney's next original animated feature. The project, titled Clay, lands in theaters in 2028 with Culkin voicing the lead character Flip. Disney Animation announced the film Friday night during the entertainment showcase at D23, the studio's annual fan convention in Anaheim.
This marks a significant play for Disney Animation, which has struggled to replicate the box office dominance of Pixar and the critical prestige of recent Disney releases like Encanto and Wish. The studio hasn't had a breakout original animated success since Big Hero 6 in 2014. Clay represents a potential shift toward original IP that doesn't rely on existing brands or fairy tales.
Culkin brings A-list credibility to the project. His Succession performance earned him a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and four Emmy nominations for playing the unstable media heir Roman Roy. That role required rapid-fire delivery, dark comedy timing, and the ability to anchor ensemble scenes. Voice acting demands different skills, but Culkin's range and comedic precision position him well for animation work. The casting signals Disney's investment in attracting prestige television talent to anchor theatrical animated films, a strategy that has worked for studios like Netflix with projects like The Mitchells vs. The Machines.
Details remain sparse about Clay's plot and creative direction. The character description for Flip hints at comedic potential, though specifics about the story, animation style, and creative team behind the camera remain undisclosed. This is typical for Disney Animation announcements at D23, where the studio teases projects years ahead of release to build long-term audience engagement.
The 2028 release date places Clay firmly in Disney's mid-term pipeline, giving animators and production crews ample time for the kind of meticulous character animation and visual development that defines theatrical animation. That timeline also positions the film in a competitive landscape where animated films from multiple studios will vie for family audiences and award consideration.
Culkin's involvement carries additional weight given the current conversation around voice acting casting in animation. Recent films like The Lion King (2019) and Inside Out 2 faced scrutiny over hiring famous actors in vocal roles rather than professional voice actors. Culkin's substantial career across television and film, combined with his proven comedic timing, suggests Disney pursued an actor whose voice work could justify the casting choice beyond marquee value alone.
The D23 announcement represents Disney Animation's continued effort to generate excitement for a slate that needs theatrical wins. While Pixar dominates the studio's animation output, Disney Animation proper maintains its own legacy stretching back to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Recent efforts like Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto showed the studio could blend cultural specificity with broad appeal. Clay, with an original character in an unspecified world, offers creative freedom that franchise adaptations cannot match.
Kieran Culkin's name attached to an animated feature three years out signals that Disney views this project as a platform play. The actor's post-Succession career choices will shape the broader conversation about how prestige television performers navigate other media. For Disney Animation, landing a talent of Culkin's caliber matters for opening weekend messaging and awards consideration when Clay eventually reaches theaters.