An episode from the upcoming Season 15 of King of the Hill screened at the 2026 Annecy Animation Festival this week, ahead of the show's July 20 premiere on Hulu.
The episode centers on Hank Hill discovering a strange electric truck parked outside his home, which sets off a full panic. According to Variety, the episode drew big laughs from the festival audience as Hank, voiced by co-creator Mike Judge, briefly becomes curious about the truck's features before his friends shut down any chance of an open mind.
Alongside the episode, audiences watched the Season 15 trailer, which teases Bobby, voiced by Pamela Adlon, starting a relationship with Connie, voiced by Lauren Tom, while also branching out at his restaurant job. Peggy, voiced by Kathy Najimy, gets competitive in a new hobby.
Mike Judge was in Annecy not only to present the episode but also to receive an Honorary Crystal Award for his contributions to animation. Annecy artistic director Marcel Jean introduced him by recalling that he had long wanted Judge at the festival. "Finally, he's here," Jean said.
The award was presented by Titmouse Inc. co-founder Chris Prynoski. In his acceptance speech, Judge traced his interest in animation back to age 7, when watching Gumby made him curious about how characters move. He later took a class at the YMCA and became absorbed in flip book animation before eventually moving on and taking an engineering job. He returned to animation after reading an article about a Texas animator named Paul Claerhout, known for work on Jimmy Neutron and Bob's Burgers.
"Animators are a unique breed," Judge said. "It takes a certain type of weirdo to make a film, one frame at a time, and I found that those are my people. So thank you to all the weirdos like myself."
Following the screening, Judge joined co-creator Greg Daniels and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson for a Q&A. Patterson said the electric truck episode was partly inspired by his own experience driving a Tesla. Judge also confirmed during the session that the show will not age Hank again, a nod to how the revival has handled continuity from the original run.
The episode's storyline also carries consequences for Bobby's personal life. His soft-launch of the relationship with Connie leads to Chane punishing Bobby by firing his restaurant partner, a dynamic the episode frames as Bobby's Goose-and-Maverick situation.
King of the Hill Season 15 premieres July 20 on Hulu.
