Return to Halloweentown

Last updated
Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown.jpg
Promotional poster
Based onCharacters
by Paul Bernbaum and Jon Cooksey & Ali Matheson
Written by
  • Max Enscoe
  • Annie DeYoung
  • Juliet Giglio
  • Keith Giglio
Directed by David Jackson
Starring
Music byKenneth Burgomaster
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Don Schain
Sheri Singer
CinematographyDenis Maloney
EditorMike Grant
Running time87 minutes
Production companiesJust Singer Entertainment
Salty Pictures
Original release
Network Disney Channel
ReleaseOctober 20, 2006 (2006-10-20)

Return to Halloweentown (also known as Halloweentown 4) is a 2006 American fantasy comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006, and is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. The story follows Marnie Piper (Sara Paxton) going to college at Witch University in Halloweentown, where dark forces try to control her magic.

Contents

This is the only film in the Halloweentown series not to feature Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie, although Joey Zimmerman, Debbie Reynolds, Judith Hoag, and Lucas Grabeel reprise their roles. Sophie Piper, played by Emily Roeske in the previous films, is mentioned but does not appear. This film also marks the first Disney Channel Original Movie franchise to produce a fourth installment. The premiere scored 7.5 million viewers.

Plot

One year after the events of the last film, a now eighteen-year-old Marnie is offered a full scholarship to Halloweentown's Witch University, headed by its chancellor Luxana Goodwyn, for her good deeds and help in the previous years. Much to her mother Gwen's dismay, Marnie decides to forgo her original college plans and instead attends the Halloweentown school. Gwen forces Marnie's brother Dylan to accompany and keep an eye on her. The school is not what it seems, as witches and warlocks cannot use magic; instead their curriculum seems to be no different than a mortal college curriculum: Shakespeare analysis, with old magic history. Marnie had thought she would learn how to use her magic and is now crestfallen.

Marnie runs into her old friend Ethan and makes a new friend named Aneesa the Genie. She also makes three new enemies in the Sinister Sisters: Scarlett, Sapphire and Sage, a triad of malevolent, extremely snobby, spoiled, and manipulative witches who are the daughters of Silas Sinister and with whom Dylan is immediately infatuated. Marnie learns that she is responsible for the university's restriction of magic. The university was originally established exclusively for warlocks and witches to learn how to use magic. But when the portal between Halloweentown and the human world was opened permanently instead of just on Halloween, most of them went to college in the mortal realm. Since then, Witch University has allowed other magical creatures to attend. Magic was banned on campus grounds to level the academic playing field. The classes are boring for Marnie until during one class with Dr. Ichabod Grogg, she uncovers within the dungeon of the college, a box, with the name "S. Cromwell" inscribed on it, magically appearing in front of her. However, the box is locked and has no key with it.

Marnie meets with one of her professors, Miss Periwinkle, and asks for an explanation. Periwinkle only tells Marnie that the S. stands for Splendora and that she and her were very good friends. Marnie and Dylan learn that the box contains the Gift, a magical power only a Cromwell can use, which Splendora locked in the box centuries ago. Meanwhile, the Sinister sisters use Dylan's infatuation with them to make him do their homework and use as bait for Marnie. Later, Ethan tells Marnie about a mysterious group, his father was part of, known as the Dominion that will try to use Marnie to open the box, and Goodwyn and Grogg are part of them, but Marnie does not believe him. Marnie later travels to the past to meet Splendora and learn about the true nature of the enigmatic gift. Splendora explains that the Gift is an amulet that bestows the wearer with the power to control anyone, a power that witches are forbidden to use. Marnie realizes that Ethan was right about the Dominion and Splendora bestows upon her the key to the box containing the Gift. Splendora is revealed to be Marnie's grandmother Aggie. Agatha is her middle name and she hates the Splendora part so she eventually dropped it. Marnie returns to the present with the key to open the box.

Dr. Goodwyn steals the Gift for the Dominion and the Sinisters to take over Halloweentown. Knowing that only a Cromwell can use the Gift, the Sinister Sisters transform Dylan into a Border Collie to compel Marnie to comply with their demands. If Dylan is not turned back by midnight, he will stay that way forever. They agree to return him to his natural form if Marnie controls Halloweentown for them. Marnie falsely agrees to aid them in their plot, initially using the Gift to control the people at Witch University. However, she turns on them once she has Aneesa trap the Gift in her lamp. With the Gift trapped in the lamp, Marnie, Dylan, Gwen, and Aneesa destroy the lamp, which destroys the Gift. The Dominion attempt an escape, but are apprehended by Periwinkle who is revealed to have been undercover for ten centuries as a detective of the Halloweentown Anti-Dominion League. She imprisons them in a Witch's Glass where she has stripped them of their magic and arrested them for treason.

The malevolent Sinister Sisters lose their powers as well, but Marnie learns that Ethan willingly gave his powers up after his father was found guilty in the previous film. Marnie and Ethan begin a new relationship and leave on a date. The movie ends when Dylan discovers that Marnie did not destroy the Gift, but instead left it for him in a book. Since spells cast on the grounds of Witch University become permanent at midnight, the Gift belongs to him, as he is the only person Marnie trusts with its power. Saving the power of the Gift for important uses only, he puts the book away, and it shows a glowing red S at the end of the film.

Cast

Production

In a 2017 interview with E!, producer Sheri Singer said the recasting of Marnie "was not something we wanted to do. We could not come to terms that we felt were fair. We just weren't able to. We couldn't make the deal work. That was why [Kimberly J. Brown was recast] and we didn't want to not do it. I know people didn't like it, but it's not like people haven't been recast before. I always was sorry that's how it went". [1]

Score

In October 2020, [2] Kenneth Burgomaster who composed, orchestrated, and conducted the soundtrack for the film uploaded the full score to his YouTube channel. [3]

No.TitleLength
1."Opening: Silas' Message"1:19
2."Mail Invitation"0:31
3."Hologram Message"0:31
4."Off to the University"2:43
5."Silas Sinister"1:27
6."Sinister Girls: Professor Crog"1:01
7."Aggie's Warning"1:15
8."Aneesa"1:29
9."Professor Crog's Class"1:45
10."Archaeology Class"1:25
11."Skull to Magic Box"1:09
12."Sinister Reading Prophesy"1:57
13."Marnie Can't Open the Box"1:39
14."Marnie Gets the Lowdown"1:49
15."The Library"0:55
16."Dylan Speed Reads"0:37
17."Sinister Dis"0:35
18."Pondering Box"1:55
19."Make Me"0:40
20."Broom Goes Wrong"0:39
21."Back to the Love"0:29
22."The Scroll"1:20
23."Marnie on a Quest"1:29
24."Ancient Halloweentown"1:10
25."Queen Fanfare"1:08
26."Marnie Escapes"1:02
27."Splendora"1:55
28."Silence!"0:31
29."Are You Aggie Cromwell?"1:39
30."Chancellor Steals Amulet"1:24
31."Chasing Dylan Dog"1:31
32."Marnie Sets Off"0:46
33."Queen Fanfare - Trumpets"0:27
34."Amulet Destroyed"4:16
35."More Love"1:43
36."Amulet in the Book - The End"0:38
Total length:47:00

Release

Return to Halloweentown premiered on Disney Channel on October 20, 2006. [4] The DVD was released on August 28, 2007. [5] It was made available to stream on Disney+. [6] In 2018, Disney made the movie available for streaming on Disney Channel's YouTube channel through a live broadcast. [7] The film also aired on Freeform in October 2023. [8]

Reception

Critical response

Alyssa Ray of E! Online initially disliked Return to Halloweentown upon its premiere in 2006, particularly due to the recasting of the lead role. However, after rewatching the film 15 years later, Ray was pleasantly surprised by its appeal. Despite the lead actress change, they appreciated the numerous callbacks to the earlier films, including appearances by familiar characters. Ray highlighted the film’s standout features, including the character Scarlett as a memorable millennial antagonist and Marnie's fashion, which accurately reflected mid-2000s trends. The college setting and updated special effects, including CGI elements and creative time-travel plotlines, were also complimented. Ultimately, Ray acknowledged Return to Halloweentown as one of the best entries in the franchise. [9] Maya Ogolini of BuzzFeed deemed Return to Halloweentown to be a worthy addition to a Halloween movie marathon, highlighting its blend of mystery and the engaging storyline of Marnie, citing the character battling evil forces and exploring an ancient family prophecy while attending Witch University. However, Ogolini expressed disappointment over the reduced presence of Debbie Reynolds and the recasting of Marnie, saying it caused some confusion for fans. Despite these critiques, Ogolini found the film to be as a satisfying conclusion to the Halloweentown series. [10]

Sierra Filucci of Common Sense Media gave Return to Halloweentown a score of three out of five stars and noted the depiction of positive messages in the film. Filucci stated that the main character tend to break rules for good causes while evil characters end up with a punishment. Furthermore, Filucci took notice of the diversity among the cast. [11] Reagan Thornley of Her Campus asserted that the plot of Return to Halloweentown is well-constructed and features engaging Halloweentown elements. They noted that the film still holds value for its intriguing aspects and would remain worth watching. However, Thornley remarked that the recasting of Marnie significantly impacted their perception of the movie. They noted that, had the original actress retained her role, the film might have been received better. [12]

Controversy

The film received heavy criticism for not casting original lead actress Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie, despite her being available for the shoot. [13] [14] Stacey Grant of MTV said everyone should pretend Return to Halloweentown never happened, due to the recasting. [15] Sabienna Bowman of Bustle referred to the recasting of Brown as a "terrible mistake." [16] Andrew LaSane of Business Insider noted that several reviewers stated they wished to see Brown come back to portray Marnie in the film. [17] According to Sheri Singer, executive producer of the Halloweentown series, [18] Disney and Kimberly J. Brown's representatives were unable to reach an agreement for Brown's return. [19]

Ratings

The premiere of Return to Halloweentown was seen by a total of over 7.5 million viewers in the United States making it the most-watched basic cable program of the day, and making it the fourth highest-rated Disney Channel Movie at the time of its airing. [20] [21] [22] [23]

Accolades

Return to Halloweentown was nominated for Television Movie or Mini-Series at the 2007 ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards. [24] [25] It was nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie at the 59th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. [26] [27]

Future

In October 2017, producer Sheri Singer has expressed interest in doing a fifth film, but would need Disney to sign off. [28] Actress Kimberly J. Brown has previously expressed interest on reprising her role as Marnie Piper should a fifth film ever materializes. [29] [30] In a 2020 interview with E! , Phillip Van Dyke expressed interest in returning for another film if the rest of the cast also returned. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

Halloweentown or Halloween Town may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly J. Brown</span> American actress (born 1984)

Kimberly Jean Brown is an American actress. She is best known for her leading role as teen witch Marnie Piper in the Halloweentown film series (1998–2004), co-starring Debbie Reynolds.

<i>Hocus Pocus</i> (1993 film) 1993 film by Kenny Ortega

Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night.

<i>Twitches</i> (film) 2005 television film by Stuart Gillard

Twitches is a 2005 American fantasy comedy-drama film released as a Disney Channel original movie and based on the Twitches book series published by Scholastic Press. Produced by Broomsticks Productions Limited, the film stars Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry as Alexandra Fielding and Camryn Barnes, respectively. A sequel, Twitches Too, aired on October 12, 2007, as a part of Disney Channel's Hauntober Fest.

<i>Halloweentown II: Kalabars Revenge</i> 2001 television film by Mary Lambert

Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge is a 2001 American fantasy comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie for the Halloween season. It is the second installment in the Halloweentown series. Set two years after the first film, Marnie returns to find Halloweentown's citizens transformed into dull, black-and-white humans. With the help of new friend Kal, she seeks to uncover and reverse the “Grey Spell” before it's too late.

<i>Halloweentown High</i> 2004 television film by Mark A.Z. Dippé

Halloweentown High is a 2004 American fantasy comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on Disney Channel on October 8, 2004, for the holiday of Halloween. It is the third movie in the Halloweentown series. It stars Kimberly J. Brown, Debbie Reynolds, Judith Hoag, and Joey Zimmerman. In the film, Marnie persuades the Halloweentown Council to allow magical students to attend a mortal school, but risks losing her family's powers if something goes wrong before midnight on Halloween. The film attracted over 6 millions viewers during its premiere.

Kristy Wu is an American retired actress, best known for her recurring role as Chao-Ahn in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-starring as Melissa Wu in Flight 29 Down. Other television credits include guest appearances on Joan of Arcadia, Freaks and Geeks, and Moesha. Her movie appearances include What's Cooking?, Drive Me Crazy, and Cry Wolf. She also co-starred alongside Sara Paxton as one of the Sinister Sisters in the fourth installment in the Disney Channel film series Return to Halloweentown.

<i>Can of Worms</i> (film) 1999 American TV series or program

Can of Worms is a science fiction comedy film and is part of the Disney Channel Original Movie lineup. It premiered on Disney Channel on April 10, 1999, and is based on the novel of the same name by Kathy Mackel, which was a Young Reader's Choice Nominee in 2002 and a nominee for the 2001 Rhode Island Children's Book Award. It is also the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be rated TV-PG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Kountz</span> American actor and realtor (born 1978)

Daniel Kountz is an American actor and realtor.

<i>Halloweentown</i> (film series) 1998–2006 American television film series

Halloweentown is an American television series of four fantasy films released as Disney Channel Original Movies: Halloweentown (1998), Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001), Halloweentown High (2004), and Return to Halloweentown (2006).

<i>Halloweentown</i> (film) 1998 television film by Duwayne Dunham

Halloweentown is a 1998 American fantasy comedy film directed by Duwayne Dunham. The first installment in Halloweentown series, it stars Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Joey Zimmerman, and Judith Hoag. It is the fourth Disney Channel Original Movie. It centers on Marnie, who learns she is a witch on her 13th Halloween and is transported to Halloweentown—a magical place where ghosts, ghouls, witches, and werewolves live apart from the human world, but she soon finds herself battling wicked warlocks, evil curses, and endless surprises.

31 Nights of Halloween is an American seasonal programming block on Freeform. It originally began airing in 1998, after the Family Channel became Fox Family, and was continued through the channel's change into ABC Family, and later, Freeform. The 13 Days of Halloween block was created mainly due to the success of the channel's 25 Days of Christmas, which had started two years earlier. The special block lasted from October 19 until Halloween night, covering the thirteen days before the holiday. Starting in 2018, the program aired throughout the whole month of October.

The 20th Youth in Film Awards ceremony, presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film and television for the 1997–1998 season, and took place on March 6, 1999, at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California. The hosts for the ceremony that evening were Jena Malone, R.J. Arnett, Roland Thomson, Justin Thomsom, Selwyn Ward and Tracy Lynn Cruz.

<i>Girl vs. Monster</i> Canadian TV series or program

Girl vs. Monster is a 2012 American fantasy teen comedy Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 12, 2012. The film stars Olivia Holt as Skylar, a teenage girl who discovers on the eve of Halloween that she is a fifth-generation monster hunter and that her parents are active monster hunters. The movie was directed by Stuart Gillard and produced by Tracey Jeffrey.

<i>Hocus Pocus 2</i> 2022 film by Anne Fletcher

Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus and the second installment in the Hocus Pocus franchise. The film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones reprising their roles, with Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham joining the cast in new roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dara Reneé</span> American actress

Dara Reneé is an American actress, model, singer and songwriter whose notable roles include Kourtney Greene in the Disney+ mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Uliana in the film Descendants: The Rise of Red.

<i>Mickeys Tale of Two Witches</i> 2021 TV special for Mickey Mouse

Mickey's Tale of Two Witches is a Halloween television special that premiered on October 7, 2021 on Disney Junior. It is produced by Disney Television Animation. It is the first spin-off special of Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures before Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas. The events of the film take place after the final episode of the series.

References

  1. ↑ BRICKER, TIERNEY (October 31, 2017). "The Secret Origin of Halloweentown Revealed: How a Little Girl Inspired a Beloved Franchise". E!Online. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017.
  2. ↑ Burgomaster, Kenneth (October 27, 2020). "WATCH: Return to Halloweentown - Track 1 - Opening: Silas' Message" (video). YouTube.com . Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ Kenneth Burgomaster's channel on YouTube
  4. ↑ "Return to Halloweentown (television)". D23 (Disney) . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  5. ↑ Return to Halloweentown DVD , retrieved April 19, 2024
  6. ↑ Bove, Kate (September 25, 2023). "Where To Watch The Halloweentown Movies". Screen Rant . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  7. ↑ Czachor, Emily Mae (October 29, 2018). "There's A 'Halloweentown' Movie Marathon You Can Watch All Day Every Day From Now Until November". Bustle . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  8. ↑ Baldwin, Kristen (September 1, 2023). "'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' 'Hocus Pocus' to haunt Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  9. ↑ Ray, Alyssa (October 31, 2021). "Most Unpopular Halloweentown Opinion: The Fourth Film Is the Best". E! Online . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  10. ↑ Ogolini, Maya (October 23, 2021). "I Ranked Every Halloween Disney Channel Original Movie Just In Time For Spooky Season". BuzzFeed . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  11. ↑ Filucci, Sierra. "Return to Halloweentown Movie Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  12. ↑ Thornley, Reagan (October 15, 2020). "Ranking the Halloweentown Series". Her Campus . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  13. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Kimberly J. Brown Answers Fans QuestionsVideo". YouTube .
  14. ↑ ""Halloweentown: An Interview with Kimberly J. Brown"". Oct31st.org. September 29, 2010. Archived from the original on 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
  15. ↑ Grant, Stacey (September 23, 2015). "Kimberly J. Brown Has A Very Big Announcement For All 'Halloweentown' Fans". MTV News . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  16. ↑ Bowman, Sabienna (September 19, 2016). "A Complete Ranking Of Disney's Halloween DCOMs". Bustle . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  17. ↑ LaSane, Andrew (September 29, 2023). "Every Halloween-themed Disney Channel original movie, ranked from worst to best". Business Insider . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  18. ↑ Bove, Kate (October 4, 2023). "Why Disney Didn't Make Halloweentown 5". Screen Rant . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  19. ↑ Donohoo, Timothy Blake (November 9, 2023). "Why Marnie Was Recast in Return to Halloweentown". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  20. ↑ Denise Martin (October 23, 2006). "Disney bewitches young aud". Variety . Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  21. ↑ Kimberly Nordyke (October 24, 2006). "'Halloweentown' draws big audience". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  22. ↑ Anthony Crupi (October 24, 2006). "Disney Beats ESPN to Lead Cable Ratings". AdWeek. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007.
  23. ↑ Mike Reynolds (October 30, 2015). "Disney Gets 'Halloweentown' Treat". Multichannel News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2006.
  24. ↑ "ADG Awards Winner & Nominees". Art Directors Guild . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  25. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 18, 2007). "Art Directors pick 15 films". Variety . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  26. ↑ "Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or Movie Nominees / Winners 2007". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  27. ↑ Staff, Variety (August 7, 2007). "Creative Arts Emmys nominations list, part I". Variety . Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  28. ↑ Bricker, Tierney (October 30, 2017). "Is a Fifth Halloweentown Movie in the Works?". E! Online. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022.
  29. ↑ Devoe, Noelle (October 13, 2016). "Kimberly J. Brown Talks Being Recast in 'Halloweentown': 'I Was Disappointed For The Fans'". Seventeen . Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  30. ↑ McPhee, Paige (October 30, 2017). "We Finally Found Out Why 'Halloweentown' Recast Marnie And We Are NOT Pleased". Narcity Media . Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  31. ↑ Bautch, Hillary (October 31, 2020). "Could There Be a Halloweentown Reboot? Phillip Van Dyke Tells All". E! Online . Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.