Disney is heading back to Halloweentown. Halloweentown 5 is officially in development, with Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn set to write the script, according to an exclusive report from TheWrap.
The new movie will be based on characters created by Paul Bernbaum, who wrote the original 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie. Disney hasn’t announced a director, a cast, or a release date, and it hasn’t said whether the film will premiere on Disney Channel, Disney+, or both.
The writers bring a mix of streaming and teen drama experience. Houghton wrote Forbidden Fruits and worked on Netflix’s The Body, according to TheWrap. Koehn was a staff writer on the Gossip Girl reboot and has credits on The Mad Whale, Homeschooled, and As Night Comes.
The timing makes sense for Disney. TheWrap reported that the Halloweentown franchise has racked up 160 million hours streamed, a big number for a series that started on cable more than 25 years ago.
Here’s a quick look back at how the series got here.
Where the Halloweentown Series Left Off
The original Halloweentown premiered in 1998 and followed Marnie Piper as she learned she came from a family of witches. It was followed by Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge in 2001 and Halloweentown High in 2004, all starring Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie and Debbie Reynolds as her grandmother, Aggie.
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The fourth film, Return to Halloweentown, arrived in 2006 with Sara Paxton taking over the role of Marnie. That recasting is still a talking point for fans, and it’s one reason many are curious about who’ll lead the new movie.
TheWrap didn’t say whether Halloweentown 5 will pick up Marnie’s story, focus on a new generation, or mix the two. Brown has stayed close to the franchise over the years, often appearing at fan conventions with Daniel Kountz, who played Kal.
Fans have spent years asking Disney for a proper follow up that brings Kimberly J. Brown back as Marnie, though TheWrap didn’t report any casting news for the new movie. For now, the only confirmed names are the two writers.
A Big Part of Disney’s Halloween Lineup
Halloweentown is one of the anchors of Disney+’s Halloween collection every fall, alongside titles like Hocus Pocus and Twitches. Those movies tend to climb the platform’s charts each October, which helps explain why Disney keeps returning to them.
Disney has already shown it’s willing to revisit its Halloween classics. Hocus Pocus 2 premiered on Disney+ in 2022, more than 29 years after the original, and drew a big audience for the streamer.
Sequels to older Disney Channel movies have become more common, too. Disney has brought back franchises like Descendants and Zombies with new entries, showing there’s still a big audience for these stories on Disney+.
For now, Halloweentown 5 is still early in the process. Fans hoping to catch up can stream all four Halloweentown movies on Disney+ before the new one gets closer.
Who do you want to see return in Halloweentown 5? Let us know in the comments.
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