Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampiresstars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly have shared their hopes for the future of the franchise. The stars have played teenage zombie Zed and half-human, half-alien cheerleader Addison respectively in all four installments of the Disney Channel musical franchise.
In addition to starring in2025’sZombies 4, the stars executive produced the new installment, which follows Zed and Addison mentoring a young vampire, Victor (Malachi Barton) and a young daywalker, Nova (Freya Skye), hoping to stoke their burgeoning love and foster peace between their tribes.
Deadlinerecently sat down with Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly to discuss the release ofZombies 4. During their conversation, the topic turned to the potentialZombies 5. When asked if they would sign on for another installment, both expressed interest in a new installment being made, thoughneither necessarily committed to appearing in it.
Manheim said that the universe ofZombies"can go any direction," and that “the world could always use another Zombies movie,” whileDonnelly said that it’s “just the start” of the story for Victor and Novaand that there needs to be a sequel following them. Read their full quotes below:
Milo Manheim: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.
Meg Donnelly:I feel like this movie, because the four of us are involved, it’s very split between the two. I think it’s literally just the start of the kids’ story, and I feel like there needs to be another one to tell their story.
Milo Manheim:It’s almost like the first three movies were one trilogy, and then this is like the start of another trilogy.
What This Means For Zombies 5
Their Support Could Help It Get Made
As the stars point out,the franchise is well-prepared for a new sequel. In addition to Zed and Addison passing the torch to Victor and Nova as the new leads of the franchise, theending ofZombies 4left the door open for a sequel involving aquatic creatures, most likely mermaids.
A line in theZombies 4song “Possible” literally features Addison singing the lines “It feels like forever since we were your age/We’re passin' you the torch, so don’t hesitate.”
While Manheim and Donnelly may not appear in the potentialZombies 5,they could potentially return as executive producers. In addition to allowing them to help shape the story and make sure it feels of a piece with the previous four installments, this means that they might participate in the promotional campaign, helping bring attention to the project.
Our Take On Milo Manheim & Meg Donnelly’s Zombies 5 Comments
Could The Franchise Work Without Them?
TheZombies 4castwas already significantly reduced, only featuring four legacy characters out of the more than a dozen recurring characters in the franchise. However, the prospect of aZombies 5without Zed and Addison doesn’t necessarily feel right, especially becauseVictor and Nova feel too much like clones of those charactersto function on their own.
While theDescendantsfranchise has managed to carry on with a renewed cast after 2024’sThe Rise of Red, so farthe precedent is for Disney Channel musical franchises to end once their core casts depart. This has been the case forHigh School Musical,Teen Beach Movie, and beyond.
Thus, while Manheim and Donnelly both seem invested in the future of the franchise, it might not continue much further beyondZombies 4: Dawn of the Vampiresif they don’t appear in the movie.
