A fifth Halloweentown film is in early development at Disney, with Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn writing a script based on characters created by Paul Bernbaum, according to TheWrap and Variety.
TheWrap first reported the project on Oct. 22, 2026. Variety also reported that plot details are not yet known and casting is not confirmed.
Houghton wrote the 2026 horror comedy Forbidden Fruits. Koehn wrote on the HBO Max Gossip Girl reboot, according to the trade reports. Those credits suggest Disney is not merely dusting off a title; it is pairing a family Halloween brand with writers who have recent teen and horror-comedy experience. That is an inference from the reported credits, not a confirmed creative direction for the film.
A legacy Halloween title with a streaming tail
The original Halloweentown premiered on Oct. 17, 1998, according to Disney’s movie listing. Disney’s listings date the sequels as follows: Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge on Oct. 12, 2001, Halloweentown High on Oct. 8, 2004, and Return to Halloweentown on Oct. 20, 2006.
TheWrap reported that the franchise has reached 160 million hours streamed globally on Disney+ to date, and that the original film ranked among the platform’s 10 most-watched Halloween movies the previous October. That helps explain why a Disney Channel movie from 1998 can still be meaningful in 2026: the franchise is not only nostalgia; it remains part of Disney’s seasonal streaming library.
The Marnie question is still open
The main audience question is who, if anyone, returns. Kimberly J. Brown played Marnie Piper in the first three films. Sara Paxton took over the role in Return to Halloweentown, according to TheWrap and Disney’s cast listing for the fourth film. Reports say returning cast has not been confirmed.
That uncertainty is more than trivia. A sequel led by returning characters would sell nostalgia differently than a new-generation story set in the same world. For now, neither path has been announced.
St. Helens has not been tied to the project
The original film is also tied to St. Helens, Oregon, where the city continues to embrace its Halloweentown connection each October. KOIN reported that St. Helens city leaders had not been in talks with Disney about a new film, though city administrator Erik Finch said the city would welcome a discussion.
That makes the location question unresolved too. Development news does not confirm where a future movie would shoot or whether it would revisit any original filming locations.
Why the Disney Channel and Disney+ split matters
If the project earns a greenlight, reports say it would air on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+. Halloweentown belongs to the Disney Channel Original Movie era, while its current audience likely spans longtime viewers, parents and younger Disney+ households.
Disney has already used that dual route for other family franchises. In March 2026, The Walt Disney Company announced ZOMBIES 5 as a Disney+ and Disney Channel project. A new Halloweentown would fit that distribution pattern if the reported plan holds.
What remains unannounced
- Cast: Disney has not confirmed whether Kimberly J. Brown, Sara Paxton or other franchise actors will return.
- Plot: Reports say story details are still unknown.
- Director and production schedule: No director, filming date or production location has been announced.
- Release date and title: Neither has been announced. Early development does not mean Disney has placed the movie on a release calendar.
Twenty years after Return to Halloweentown, Disney appears willing to test whether one of its signature Halloween-era TV movie brands can work again in a streaming-first market without leaving behind the Disney Channel audience that made it popular.
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