‘Halloweentown 5’ in Early Development at Disney

Disney is bringing one of its most beloved Halloween franchises back into development. Halloweentown 5 is reportedly in the early stages at Disney, marking the first new installment in the family-friendly fantasy series in 20 years.

According to TheWrap, Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn are developing the screenplay for the new movie. The project will be based on characters created by Paul Bernbaum, who wrote the original 1998 Halloweentown.

The four existing films have reportedly accumulated 160 million hours streamed on Disney+ worldwide, giving Disney a strong reason to revisit the franchise. The studio previously found renewed success with Hocus Pocus 2, which arrived on Disney+ in 2022 decades after the original Halloween favorite debuted.

What Is Halloweentown About?

The original Halloweentown premiered on the Disney Channel in 1998 and introduced audiences to Marnie Piper, a 13-year-old who discovers she comes from a family of powerful witches. When Marnie learns about Halloweentown, a magical world inhabited by supernatural creatures, she begins exploring her heritage and preparing to embrace her own powers.

The film’s popularity led to three sequels: Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge in 2001, Halloweentown High in 2004, and Return to Halloweentown in 2006.

Kimberly J. Brown played Marnie in the first three films before Sara Paxton took over the role for the fourth installment. The franchise also featured the late Debbie Reynolds as Marnie’s grandmother, Agatha “Aggie” Cromwell.

Will the Original Cast Return for Halloweentown 5?

With Halloweentown 5 still in early development, details about the story, cast, and potential release date have not yet been announced. It remains unclear whether Brown or other familiar faces from the original films will return.

For now, the project offers a chance for Disney to revisit a franchise that helped define Halloween viewing for a generation of Disney Channel fans. More details are expected as development progresses.