Two writers are working on a fifth movie for Disney Channel and Disney+, about 20 years after Return to Halloweentown. There’s no word yet on whether Kimberly J. Brown is back as Marnie.
Marnie’s bus might be making one more trip.
A fifth Halloweentown movie is in early development at Disney Channel and Disney+, TheWrap reported Thursday, Oct. 22, in an exclusive. Disney hasn’t confirmed it publicly.
It’s been about 20 years since the fourth movie, Return to Halloweentown, and 28 years since the original. Here’s what we know so far, and what the stars have said about coming back.
Who is writing Halloweentown 5?
Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn, according to TheWrap. Their script builds on characters created by Paul Bernbaum, who wrote the 1998 original. In that movie, Marnie finds out she’s a witch when her grandma Aggie comes to visit.
Houghton wrote the horror comedy Forbidden Fruits, which hit theaters earlier this year. She also produced The Body, an upcoming YA horror series for Netflix.
Koehn was a staff writer on the Gossip Girl reboot from 2021 to 2023, TheWrap reported.
TheWrap didn’t name a director, a cast or a release window. “Additional details are still under wraps,” it said.
Is Kimberly J. Brown in Halloweentown 5?
Nobody’s said yet. It’s unclear whether Brown or Sara Paxton will play Marnie, TheWrap and Laughing Place both reported.
Brown played Marnie in the first three movies. Paxton took over for Return to Halloweentown in 2006, and Brown has said she never found out why.
“I was available and ready to do it,” Brown said in a 2018 video Q&A, TheWrap reported.
Paxton has said she’s met Brown a few times. “There’s no beef! I’m a fan!” she said in 2021.
Brown has made it clear she wants to come back, though. “I have told Disney I’m down. They know we’re all down to do another one,” Brown told PauseRewind in an interview published Oct. 1.
“It’s up to them at this point,” she added. She said fans ask her about a sequel “literally every day.”
What did Kimberly J. Brown pitch for Halloweentown 5?
A grown-up Marnie. On a Halloweentown episode of the Disney+ Hulu Throwbacks Podcast, released Oct. 1, Brown pitched a Marnie who either teaches young witches or runs for mayor of Halloweentown, as PNP reported Oct. 11.
J. Paul Zimmerman, who played her little brother Dylan, figured Dylan would be taking care of the library.
Here’s the full episode with Brown and Zimmerman, from Disney+ on YouTube:
Brown is now married to Daniel Kountz, who played the villain Kal in Halloweentown II. The two played enemies on screen and reconnected years later.
Will Grandma Aggie be in Halloweentown 5?
Debbie Reynolds, who played Aggie in all four movies, died on Dec. 28, 2016, at 84. The next October, Brown, Zimmerman and Judith Hoag reunited in St. Helens, Oregon, for a tribute to her.
Aggie’s spirit is all over the series, though. Her line “Being normal is vastly overrated” pretty much became its motto.
Why is Disney making another Halloweentown?
People keep watching. The franchise has racked up 160 million hours streamed on Disney+ around the world, and the original ranked among the 10 most-watched Halloween movies last October, TheWrap reported.
A new movie would join Disney’s Halloween lineup alongside Hocus Pocus, Twitches and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Hocus Pocus already got its own sequel on Disney+ in 2022.
When did the Halloweentown movies come out?
All four premiered on Disney Channel in October.
Halloweentown, Oct. 17, 1998.
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge, Oct. 12, 2001.
Halloweentown High, Oct. 8, 2004.
Return to Halloweentown, Oct. 20, 2006.
All four are streaming on Disney+.
Where is the real Halloweentown?
St. Helens, Oregon, about 30 miles northwest of Portland, where the first movie was filmed. Its Spirit of Halloweentown festival runs on weekends through Nov. 1, and Zimmerman, Emily Roeske and Phillip Van Dyke were scheduled to appear last weekend.
Judith Hoag, who played Marnie’s mom, Gwen, is scheduled to appear there Oct. 24 and 25, according to the festival’s organizers.
So if you were planning a Halloweentown marathon this month, it might not be the last one.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
TheWrap, Tess Patton (Oct. 22, 2026), the Halloweentown 5 exclusive, the writers and the streaming numbers
Laughing Place, Maxon Faber (Oct. 22, 2026), the Marnie casting question
PauseRewind, Elizabeth Stanton (Oct. 1, 2026), Brown’s comments on a sequel
Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 11, 2026), the series history, the recast quotes, Brown’s podcast pitch and St. Helens
Disney+ on YouTube (Oct. 1, 2026), the Throwbacks podcast episode
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