It's almost Halloween and that means you have only a few days to binge all your favorite throwback films. From Practical Magic to The Nightmare Before Christmas, spooky season is full of cozy autumn films. And if you are like me – a young Millennial yearning for her youth – you are about to dive into another rewatch of the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown. The tween movie with an incredible cast premiered on October 17, 1998 and still captures the attention of Halloween lovers 26 years later.
Halloweentown came to be after the daughter of the executive producer, Steve White, asked her dad a very interesting question. "[Steve] came in one day to me and said, 'I don't know where to go with this, but my daughter said to me, 'Dad, where do all the creatures from Halloween go the rest of the year when it's not October 31?'" Sheri Singer, another executive producer on the film, told E! News. "And that's how it was born."
The most well known actor in Halloweentown is Debbie Reynods. The legendary actress, who died in 2016, starred in Singing' in the Rain before appearing in the Disney Channel show as Aggie Cromwell, the grandmother who is secretly a witch. But where are the other cast members from Halloweentown these days?
© Getty ImagesKimberly J. Brown
Kimberly J. Brown, 41, played Marnie Piper, the lead role in Halloweentown. She began acting when she was just 5 years old, appearing in Les Misérables and Showboat on Broadway. Kimberly starred in the first Halloweentown film when she was 14-years-old. Controversially, she was replaced as Marnie in the fourth film, Return to Halloweentown, with Sara Paxton.
Since then, Kimberly has acted on General Hospital, the Hallmark film Crossword Mysteries, and the AMC series Low Winter Sun. Kimberly also met her husband on the set of Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge. She and Daniel Kountz married in May 2024.
© Alamy Photos/InstagramJoey Zimmerman
Joey Zimmerman, 38, played Marnie's little brother, Dylan Piper, in Halloweentown. And his love of acting came naturally. Joey's dad, Henry Zimmerman, was an actor, and his mom, Kat Zimmerman, was a musician. Since appearing in Halloweentown, Joey has primarily acted in the theater. In 2022, he appeared as Aslan in a community theater production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
© Alamy Photos/InstagramEmily Roeske
The youngest of the Piper family, Emily Roeske, 34, played the lovable Sophie Piper in Halloweentown. Emily was a child star, but her last credited acting gig was in 2004's Halloweentown High. These days, she lives in Arizona with her boyfriend, Jacob Arellano, and her two daughters – Evie and Mavis – who she had in a previous relationship.
© Getty Images/InstagramDaniel Kountz
While he didn't star in the original Halloweentown, Daniel Kountz, 47, appeared in the sequel, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, as Kal – the son of a wicked warlock who wants to create chaos in the world. Daniel continued acting, starring in Mad Men, My Crazy Roommate, and this year's Hallmark film, Haul Out the Halloween. He married his co-star, Kimberly Brown, in 2024.
© Alamy Photos/InstagramPhillip Van Dyke
It wouldn't be Halloweentown without Halloween characters. Phillip Van Dyke, 41, played Luke, a goblin who lives in the town in human form. He retired from acting in 2003 and is now married to his wife Jennifer. The couple are parents to three children. When asked if he'd come out of retirement for a fifth Halloweentown film, Phillip told E! News: "If the rest of the cast came back and wanted to do that, I would be up for it."
