Movie Zombies 3 premieres on Disney Plus July 15. Milo Manheim plays zombie Zed and Meg Donnelly portrays human cheerleader Addison. Like so many quarterbacks and cheerleaders, they are boyfriend and girlfriend.
The film franchise is about zombies and humans attending high school together, and not killing each other. Zed is hoping for an athletic scholarship that will make him the first zombie to attend college. Addison is gearing up for Seabrook High's first international cheer-off.
But then extraterrestrial beings arrive in Seabrook, and things get weird.
Also in the cast are Chandler Kinney, Ariel Martin, Pearce Joza and Carla Jeffery. RuPaul voices The Mothership, a passive-aggressive UFO that brings the aliens to Earth.
Paul Hoen has directed all three movies. Asked how the movies keep connecting with viewers, he said. “Everybody finds a character they identify with,” noting how fans often share their shadow character on Instagram. “They’re completely invested in this world, which I find interesting.”
Hoen said Manheim is “incredibly talented,” and a triple threat. He shared how Manheim was a bit green when the first movie was shot. “He’s just grown into a phenomenal actor,” said Hoen.
Donnelly is a triple threat as well, Hoen describing her as “an incredible dancer and actor and singer” who befriended most in the cast and crew. “She loved taking care of everybody there,” said Hoen. “It’s not just about her.”
RuPaul, he added, is “super-funny.”
Hoen said the latest movie is “bigger and, I hope, better” than its predecessors. Asked about a highlight, he mentioned the opening number, when the aliens arrive. “There’s a fight sequence, there are explosions, there’s singing and dancing,” he said. “It’s quite good and different.”
Zombies 3 is on Disney Channel August 12. David Light, Joseph Raso and Suzanne Farwell are executive producers.
A New York Times review reads, “This is not your mother’s Disney Channel, and thank god. All of the Zombies movies are brimming with camp delights, as though the crew watched But I’m a Cheerleader while dropping acid. This is particularly true for Zombies 3. The sets and costumes are awash in pastel pinks, blues and greens. One pivotal conversation ends with a woman ripping off her wig. RuPaul Charles even voices the aliens’ mothership.”
The Times adds that the movie, despite a “gonzo aesthetic and radio-ready pop songs,” “clumsily tackles social issues.”
Hoen hopes viewers learn to be kinder to those not like them from the movie. “I hope kids learn to accept each other regardless of race and creed,” he said. “I hope the movie pushes this way.”
Disney often goes for three movies in a franchise (press materials call Zombies 3 a “trequel”), but Hoen hopes this one goes longer. “This is very popular, so who knows?” he said. “I would be up for it.” ■
