Disney+ announced on December 12, 2022, that the pilot was greenlit for Witch Mountain, a reimagining of the successful film franchise, according to a Disney+ press release. Witch Mountain is a modern reinvention of the cult classic that takes place in the echo of Witch Mountain, which follows two teens that evolve peculiar abilities and discover that their sleepy suburb may not be as idyllic as it seems.
The first Escape to Witch Mountain film premiered in 1975 and was based on the 1968 book of the same name written by Alexander Key. The film was followed by two sequels released in 1978 and 1982 respectively. A made-for-television remake aired in 1995 that starred Elisabeth Moss (Us, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Erik von Detten (Toy Story, Tarzan) and a reboot of the film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Moana, Gridiron Gang), AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, Bad Boys for Life) was released in 2009.
Witch Mountain has had a blinking pilot green light since March of this year, when Disney+ also commissioned the opening of a writers’ room for additional scripts, according to Deadline.
The character breakdown is provided by the Disney+ press release:
Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, Jurassic World: Dominion) plays the leading role as Audrey, Tia’s loving and devoted mother whose husband died from a mental illness. Isabel Gravitt (The Watcher, In Search of Fellini) is Tia, a straight-A student who is regarded as “perfect” by her fellow peers, despite the fact that she regards herself as the complete opposite. Levi Miller (A Wrinkle in Time, Streamline) plays Ben, a troubled teen who makes ends meet by writing papers for other students but has a hot temper and will face expulsion if he assaults another student. Bianca “b” Norwood (WeCrashed, Let the Right One In) plays Corey, Ben’s best friend and coworker at the diner. Jackson Kelly (V/H/S/99, Straight Man) plays Peter, Tia’s closest male friend who is lovesick on the subject of Tia, but Tia is unaware of Peter’s charms, and equally unaware of his devotion as well.
The series’s pilot is co-written and executive produced by Travis Fickett (12 Monkeys, Terra Nova) and Terry Matalas (Terra Nova, 12 Monkeys), with Augustine Frizzell (Euphoria, Never Goin’ Back) on board to direct and executive produce as well. John Davis (I, Robot, The Blacklist) and John Fox (Game Night, Dolemite Is My Name) of Davis Entertainment and Gary Marsh (Zombies: The Re-Animated Series, Calendar Girl) to executive produce, according to Collider.