On Monday (March 2), Disney officially announced that it had greenlit a fifth installment of its musical franchise, Zombies.
It will serve as a follow-up to last year’s Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. The fourth installment was a streaming hit, garnering 9.3 million global views in its first ten days of release.
“With each movie, we intentionally push the story somewhere new,” teased Ayo Davis, the president of Disney Branded Television.
Highlights
- Disney has officially greenlit the next installment of its hit musical franchise, with Zombies 5 set to begin production in 2026.
- Two longtime leads will step back into executive producer roles as a new central duo takes over the story.
- The upcoming chapter introduces a fresh mythical twist that threatens the fragile peace established in Zombies 4.
In a press release, the studio dropped several major updates, including a filming start date and plot details. The announcement also confirmed the absence of two key stars while revealing its new leads.
Here are all the major updates regarding Zombies 5.
When will Zombies 5 premiere?
Image credits: Disney
While Disney hasn’t confirmed a release date for Zombies 5, it is expected to premiere sometime in summer 2027.
The new installment will air on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+.
The studio has confirmed that the fifth entry is slated to start filming in spring 2026 in New Zealand.
The first installment premiered in 2018, with subsequent movies releasing every two years, except for the most recent entry. Instead, it was released three years after its predecessor.
The first two movies were released in February, while the latter two arrived in July. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the fifth movie will follow a similar production timeline.
Who is returning for Zombies 5?
Image credits: Disney
Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly have led the cast for the previous four installments, playing Addison Wells and Zed Necrodopolis. However, the duo will not be starring in the fifth part but will instead serve as executive producers.
Meanwhile, Malachi Barton and Freya Skye will take over the lead roles. Barton plays Nightwalker Victor, and Skye portrays Daywalker Nova, who were first introduced in Zombies 4.
Image credits: Disney
The fifth movie marks the return of Trevor Tordjman as fan-favorite cheer captain Bucky Buchanan, who was absent from the previous movie.
Other cast members expected to reprise their roles include Swayam Bhatia as Vera, Julian Lerner as Ray, and Mekonnen Knife as Vargas.
Meanwhile, Diaana Babnicova, Taylor Oliver, and Olive Mortimer have been added as a trio of mysterious mermaids. Emily Costtrici joins the cast as Izzy, a new transfer student and zombie.
What will Zombies 5 be about?
Image credits: Disney
After expanding its lore to introduce vampires in the fourth movie, the franchise will welcome mermaids into the fold with Zombies 5.
According to Disney’s press release, the follow-up will take place during a period of newfound peace between the Daywalkers and Nightwalkers. However, their harmony is disrupted when a trio of fierce mermaids arrives in town.
Image credits: Disney
“Nova and Victor must unite their groups once more to discover what the mermaids are really after in order to protect the fragile harmony they worked so hard to build,” reads an official logline for the movie.
Ayo Davis, the president of Disney Branded Television, revealed that adding mermaids “opens up a completely different dynamic” for the franchise. She promised that the fifth movie will remain true to the franchise’s trademark music, characters, and themes of unity and acceptance.
All four previous Zombies movies are currently streaming on Disney+.