Disney+ has greenlit Zombies 5, but OG stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly won't be returning
Disney isn't done with 'Zombies' yet, not after 'Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires' had a neat run. The fourth instalment received 9.3 million global views within its first ten days of release. Now, the network has greenlit 'Zombies 5', but it will come with a major change.
According to Variety, franchise stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly will not return as Zed and Addison from the previous films. The spotlight focuses on Malachi Barton and Freya Skye reprising their character, Victor and Nova from 'Dawn of the Vampires'. However, both Manheim and Donnelly will stay on board as executive producers. The production will go on the floors this spring in New Zealand.
Other returning members of the cast include Trevor Tordjman as Bucky, along with Swayam Bhatia as Vera, Julian Lerner as Ray, and Mekonnen Knife as Vargas. The latest additions to the cast feature a mermaid trio — Diaana Babnicova as Pearl, Taylor Oliver as Fin, and Olive Mortimer as Sandy. Emily Costtrici joins the cast as zombie Izzy, described as “Zed’s zombie cousin and new transfer student."
The official synopsis for 'Zombies 5' reads, "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 to protect the fragile harmony they worked so hard to build."
In her statement, "Zombies has become a defining franchise for the current generation,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. "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." Paul Hoen returns to direct the film, making it the fifth project after helming the previous four. He also doubles up as the EP alongside Jane Fleming, Mark Ordesky, Joseph Raso, and David Light. Chris Hazzard, Michael Fontana, and Eydie Faye join the fifth film as writers.
Earlier, Manheim had expressed his excitement for a fifth 'Zombies' film. "I think that one of the amazing things about this franchise is that we’ve kind of created this universe that can go any direction. We’re really just expanding and literally getting outside of Seabrook. So I’m curious to see what happens. I think the world could always use another Zombies movie," he told Deadline. "It’s almost like the first three movies were one trilogy, and then this is like the start of another trilogy."
Over the years, the 'Zombies' have become one of Disney's major original film projects. The first three films were runaway hits with fans and ranked among the most-watched content on their streaming platform. With production set to begin this year, the film is likely to hit screens sometime in 2027. With a two-year gap between the first three films and a three-year break before the fourth, 'Zombies 5' might stick to the same pattern.
