Twenty Years Later, Halloweentown 5 is Reportedly in the Works at Disney

Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie or nothing!

Published: Oct 23, 2026, 1:08 pm Updated: Oct 23, 2026, 1:08 pm

Primary Subject: Halloweentown 5
Key Update: Writers Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn have officially begun developing a script for Halloweentown 5, reviving the beloved fantasy franchise 20 years after the previous installment.
Status: Reported
Last Verified: October 23, 2026
Quick Answer: Halloweentown 5 is in early script development at Disney Channel and Disney+, marking the franchise's return two decades after Return to Halloweentown.

Spooky season just delivered a major nostalgia hit for Disney Channel fans: two decades after 13-year-old Marnie Piper first discovered her magical heritage, the iconic Halloweentown universe is officially expanding.

With Disney quietly setting up the long-awaited fifth installment, fans of the Cromwell family legacy are eager to see how the story continues. From the script development to addressing cliffhangers left behind in the 2006 sequel, here is everything we know so far about Halloweentown 5.

Halloweentown 5 Script in Early Development: Everything We Know So Far

Disney Channel and Disney+ have officially commissioned a script for Halloweentown 5, bringing on screenwriters Lily Houghton (Forbidden Fruits) and Ryan Koehn (The Mad Whale, Gossip Girl) to craft a new chapter.

As The Wrap reported, the project is currently in the early scriptwriting stage with Houghton and Koehn, based on the characters created by Paul Bernbaum, who wrote the original 1998 film.

While an official greenlight for filming depends on the script approval, Halloweentown 5 is being designed to anchor Disney's annual "Monstober" Halloween lineup, alongside classics like Hocus Pocus and Twitches.

Disney has not yet confirmed casting details or whether original franchise stars like Kimberly J. Brown, Sara Paxton, or Joey Zimmerman will return.

However, Brown, who originated the role of Marnie Piper in the first three films, has publicly expressed enthusiasm by saying she is "totally down" to return to the franchise if given the opportunity, even if she did not return for the fourth.

What Happened in Return to Halloweentown That Could Possibly Lead to the Fifth Installment?

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The fourth film, Return to Halloweentown, laid crucial groundwork that could directly connect to what unravels in the plot of Halloweentown 5.

Return to Halloweentown saw Marnie Piper (played by Sara Paxton) travel back in time to retrieve "The Gift", an ancient magical artifact created by her ancestor Splendora (who was revealed to be a young Agatha Cromwell).

Though Marnie destroyed the box containing the dangerous artifact to keep the evil Dominion from seizing its power, she secretly transferred the actual Gift to her brother, Dylan Piper, for safekeeping.

In the final moments of the fourth movie, Dylan hides The Gift inside a book in his room, with the film teasing a potential follow-up as the book glows with a sinister red symbol, heavily implying that the Sinister Clan's dark magic was still at power and that the artifact remains a target for rogue witches.

With two decades having passed since Witch U, a fifth movie could easily bridge the eras by either exploring a grown-up Marnie or Dylan trying to make their way in the adult wizarding world, or by passing the torch to a new generation of Cromwell witches that must face the unfulfilled prophecy of The Gift.

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