Disney+ Europe Lands Oscar-Shortlisted Animated Short ‘Retirement Plan’ Starring Domhnall Gleeson

In a major acquisition for its European library, Disney+ has officially added the critically acclaimed animated short “Retirement Plan” to its streaming lineup in the United Kingdom and across Europe. The move comes just as the film gains significant momentum on the 2026 Academy Awards shortlist for Best Animated Short Film.

Directed by Irish filmmaker John Kelly in his debut and co-written with Tara Lawall, the seven-minute 2D animated film centers on Ray (voiced by Domhnall Gleeson), a man trapped in the “apathetic middle-aged rut” of an overstimulated, energy-poor life.

The story unfolds as a series of fantasies, with Ray meticulously planning everything he intends to do—from mastering Italian red wine to finally embracing his curiosities—once he eventually has the “time” in retirement. The film has been praised by critics as a poignant, “wobbly” meditation on the gap between current aspirations and future reality.

In addition to lending his “dulcet Irish accent” to the lead role, actor Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Paper) has also boarded the project as an executive producer. Gleeson joins a production team that includes Andrew Freedman and Julie Murnaghan, with the project commissioned by Screen Ireland and RTÉ.

While the short is now available to Disney+ subscribers in the U.K. and Europe, viewers in the U.S. and Canada can currently stream the film for free through The New Yorker’s Screening Room or on YouTube.

The acquisition by Disney+ marks a significant win for the independent Irish animation scene, providing a massive platform for Kelly’s “panic attack-inspired” vision just weeks before the final Oscar nominations are announced.