‘Halloweentown 5’ in the Works at Disney | Exclusive

Disney is developing a fifth installment in the "Halloweentown" movie franchise, 20 years after the fourth film, according to exclusive information obtained by TheWrap. Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn are working on the script, drawing inspiration from the characters created by Paul Bernbaum, the writer of the original 1998 film. The creative team is still finalizing the details, and it remains uncertain if the previous cast members, such as Kimberly J. Brown or Sara Paxton, will return to reprise their roles.

Sara Paxton took over the lead role from Kimberly J. Brown when "Return to Halloweentown" was released in 2006. Lily Houghton is known for her work on the horror comedy "Forbidden Fruits," which premiered in theaters this year, and for producing Netflix's upcoming YA horror series "The Body." Ryan Koehn has a diverse writing background, having served as a staff writer for the "Gossip Girl" reboot and contributing to various thrillers, comedies, and crime dramas.

The "Halloweentown" franchise has garnered over 160 million hours streamed on Disney+ worldwide, with the original film ranking among the top 10 most-watched Halloween movies last October. The franchise debuted in 1998 with "Halloweentown," telling the story of 13-year-old Marnie Piper, who discovers she is a descendant of powerful witches and must begin her magical training before her powers fade away.

Kimberly J. Brown portrayed Marnie in the first three films: "Halloweentown," "Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge" (2001), and "Halloweentown High" (2004). Sara Paxton succeeded Brown as Marnie in the fourth movie, "Return to Halloweentown." The upcoming fifth film would add to Disney's Halloween collection, which includes "Hocus Pocus," "Twitches," and "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas."