Zombies 3 - What We Know So Far
The third and final film in Disney Channel's series of supernatural musicals, "Zombies 3," technically stylized as "Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3," is officially on its way. Fans will once again have the chance to see Zed (Milo Manheim) and Addison (Meg Donnelly) bring their town of humans, zombies, and werewolves together through the power of bouncy choreographed dance numbers.
According to IMDB, the first "Zombies" film was adapted from "Zombies and Cheerleaders," a 2012 pilot episode for a show that Disney Channel passed on. However, when the show was revived as a Disney Channel movie in 2018, it arrived with an all-new cast and became the top-rated telecast for viewers aged 6 to 14 for the entire year, per Deadline. When "Zombies 2" premiered in 2020, it managed to pull off the same numbers, helping the series retain the top-rated spot for a second year.
As such, both fans and Disney Channel have high expectations for "Zombies 3," which promises to introduce an otherworldly angle, if the glowing meteorite that turned Addison's hair bright blue at the end of "Zombies 2" is any indication. Here is everything fans need to know about the release date, cast, and plot of "Zombies 3."
When is the release date for Zombies 3?
While "Zombie 3" was announced without a definite release date, the timing for the first two films, as well as some industry rumors about the production status of the film, offers fans some clues as to when it will arrive.
As reported by Inside the Magic, preproduction on "Zombies 3" appears to have wrapped up, with filming beginning at some point in June 2020. Considering that the film still doesn't have a release date, it is likely that it will not premiere on Disney Channel until winter 2022 at the earliest.
There is another indicator that this might be the case from the franchise's previous releases. The original "Zombies" film arrived on February 16, 2018, two days after Valentine's Day. "Zombies 2" debuted on February 14, 2020, with a release date coinciding with the romantic holiday. These past premiers, along with the film's current shooting schedule, make it seem likely that fans can expect "Zombies 3" sometime around mid-February 2022.
Who is in the cast of Zombies 3?
With many of the core members of the series remaining onboard, viewers can look forward to seeing fan favorites and fresh faces in "Zombies 3."
The two most prominent parts in "Zombies 3," the lead roles of Zed and Addison, will once again be played by Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly. In addition, Deadline reports that many of the stars of the previous two films are returning, such as the werewolves introduced in "Zombies 2," Willa, played by Chandler Kinney, Wyatt, once again played by Pearce Joza, and Wynter, a role reprised by Ariel Martin.
Likewise, many actors who have been with the series since the original will return, such as Trevor Tordjman and Carla Jeffery as cheerleaders Bucky and Bree. Finally, three of the zombies from the first film, Eliza, Bonzo, and Zoey, will be once again played by Kylee Russel, James Godfrey, and Kingston Foster, respectively.
Joining the cast are Matt Cornet as A-Lan, Kyra Tantao as A-Li, and Terry Hu as A-Spen, three alien visitors to Seabrook. Fans will just have to wait and see how these new visitors will adjust to visiting a town that has become a melting pot of various humans and monster communities.
What is the plot of Zombies 3?
Thanks to the meteorite cliffhanger at the end of "Zombies 2" and the confirmation of a trio of actors playing alien visitors, viewers can be pretty confident that some significant plot points in the film will revolve around extraterrestrials. However, an arrival from outer space isn't the only thing that fans can expect to see in "Zombies 3."
According to a plot summary provided to The Hollywood Reporter by Disney Channel, both Zed and Addison will be entering their senior year at Seabrook High, giving them plenty of challenges to deal with before anyone arrives from another world. Addison will be helping her squad prepare for their international cheer-off, while Zed is pursuing an athletic scholarship. If he gets it, he will become the first zombie from Seabrook ever to attend college. The actor who plays Zed, Milo Manheim, also told Seventeen that there's a possibility that viewers might finally meet Zed's mom in the third film.
However, all of these plans may get thrown into disarray when the three aliens, A-Spen, A-Li, and A-Lan, arrive. Hopefully, the zombies, aliens, werewolves, and humans can come to some sort of understanding, perhaps through a climactic dance number, but it remains simply too early to speculate on those plot points.