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'Zombie 5' gets official title as Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly starrer sets 2027 release window

The lead stars took to X to officially reveal the title of the fifth installment in Disney's hit musical fantasy franchise.

The official name for the fifth installment of Disney’s wildly popular musical fantasy franchise has been announced. The film's X handle shared a video featuring the lead stars, Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly, along with the entire cast. The fifth installment of the franchise, 'Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea,' was officially announced by the studio on March 2. In the official announcement, Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, called 'Zombies' "a defining franchise for the current generation." He continued, "With each movie, we intentionally push the story somewhere new. Introducing mermaids in ‘ZOMBIES 5’ opens up a completely different dynamic, while staying true to the music, characters, and themes of unity and acceptance that are at the heart of these films."

The franchise primarily tells the story of zombie football player Zed and cheerleader Addison, portrayed by Manheim and Donnelly, respectively. They try to unite humans and supernatural creatures in the town of Seabrook. With each new installment, it introduces more supernatural elements such as werewolves, aliens, and mermaids. The new film will pick up after 'Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.' Per the official synopsis, "The newfound peace between the Daywalkers and Vampires is put to the test when a band of fierce mermaids arrives in Rayburn, making waves and casting a persuasive siren song to lure in new allies. 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."

Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly also serve as executive producers of the film. The returning cast includes Malachi Barton as Victor, Freya Skye as Nova, Swayam Bhatia as Vera, Julian Lerner as Ray, and Mekonnen Knife as Vargas. Diaana Babnicova, Taylor Oliver, and Olive Mortimer are new additions to the cast as a trio of mysterious mermaids. Emily Costtrici has also joined the cast as Zed’s zombie sister, Izzy. Disney confirmed that production began this spring in New Zealand. There is no exact release date for 'Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea,' but it will be out sometime in 2027 on Disney+ and Disney Channel.