If you grew up in the late-90s or early-2000s, chances are Halloweentown was a staple of your childhood. Even if you’re on the younger side, you probably saw the movies aired on Disney annually around Halloween, considering that the movies have become a classic among Disney’s original movies. Halloweentown was a franchise from Disney that spanned almost a decade, with four movies that followed Marnie Piper, a girl who learns from her magical grandmother (played by the amazing late Debbie Reynolds) that she is a witch and that her mother has been keeping it a secret from her and her little siblings. After making the discovery, she journeys to Halloweentown, a magical place where all types of ghouls and monsters live together in peace.
It’s been more than two decades since the release of the first Halloweentown movie and the kids Halloween movie genre has since fizzled out, although R.L. Stine’s work has made a comeback on the screen with Netflix and Disney+ in recent years. Regardless, Halloweentown remains a favorite among Millennials and Gen Z because of its messages of staying true to who you are, never judging a book by its cover, and the power of believing all without making it too corny. Of course, what made Halloweentown stick out was the charming characters, hilarious jokes, and the well-told story for kids to follow and still love when they’re all grown up. Even in the town that was used for filming, St. Helen, Oregon, is very proud of its connection to the movie and celebrates it with its annual Spirit of Halloweentown event. Now that fall is finally here, and Halloween is around the corner, it’s the perfect time to revisit Halloweentown with our list ranking all the movies in the franchise.
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4 Return to Halloweentown
Disney
Anyone who remembers when Return to Halloweentown premiered in 2006 knows that this is by far the worst of all the movies in the franchise. Marnie is off to college when she’s offered a scholarship to Witch University, but the only thing people cared about was Disney replacing of Kimberly J. Brown, who played Marnie in the first three films, with Sara Paxon. It was an odd direction change especially considering they kept all the other cast members in the roles of her siblings, mother, and grandmother, and for years we had no idea why Disney did this. Until 2013, when, in a YouTube video, Brown revealed that she actually didn’t know why they recast Marnie. “I was available and ready to do it and had talked to them about possibly doing it, but Disney decided to go in a different direction and recast the role,” Brown said in the video, “so that’s really all I know about the situation.” And it’s clear Paxon wasn’t warmly welcomed because out of all the Halloweentown movies, this was the worst rated.
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3 Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge
Disney–ABC Domestic Television
The sequel to Halloweentown, Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge sees us returning to Halloweentown after Marnie and her family realize there’s something wrong with their powers and all is not well in Halloweentown. The entire town has turned black and white. The sequel also sees the return of the first movie’s villain (kind of), Kalabar. Considering how well-loved the franchise is, it’s always a debate about which of the first three movies is the best, but the second movie, while still strong, didn’t feel as if it did much to franchise. It could never be the original, and the third film felt so unique in its premise. So, when compared to those two films, the second feels a little boring and predictable. Regardless, it still holds a special place in many people’s hearts and rightfully so. But nowhere close to how near and dear it must be for Brown who met her now husband, Daniel Kountz, on-set when he played Kalabar’s son.
2 Halloweentown High
Halloweentown High shed some of its childish antics for something a little more mature for the aging fans of the franchise. The third film was released in 2004 and takes place in Marnie’s normal high school with exchange students from Halloweentown. We also see the introduction of Ethan (High School Muscial’s Lucas Grabeel), whom we’d see again in the final film. This time around, Brown was able to work closely in the production and have a say in the writing of the script (which makes you question the recasting even more), and in the end, the third installment was able to pull in over 6 million views during its premier on Disney. And maybe Brown’s work with the script helped because the third film always felt liked it presented Marnie with a stronger personality.
1 Halloweentown
Nothing beats the original. Released in October 1998, the movie is one of the first Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) to ever be released, and despite its outdated effects that can be blamed on the very small budget the movie was given, Halloweentown is in the top ten of the best DCOM per Complex. The film is a classic and is probably the movie that most fans of the franchise remember best. It was a strong introduction to the world and characters of Halloweentown, plus there’s something charming about the low-budget effects that make it even more lovable and a fan favorite during the season. And let’s not forget: if it wasn’t for the original being as good as it was, there would’ve never been an entire franchise behind it. For many of the once young fans of the movie, it’s a fun and nostalgic film to return to every October. It just goes to show no matter how old you get you can still enjoy the magic of Halloweentown.
