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2018 marked the 20th anniversary of one of Disney ’s first ever original movies , and a devotee dearie , Halloweentown . The original motion picture go on to engender three sequel -Halloweentown II : Kalabar ’s Revenge , Halloweentown High , andReturn to Halloweentown . Fans get laid to rewatch these picture every year around Halloween , and Disney still play them on its canal to this daylight . What is so peculiar aboutHalloweentownthat make fans keep coming back for more ?
There are so many thing to love about theHalloweentownmovies . There ’s the nostalgia , the not - so - high - tech special effects , and the all around mob Halloween playfulness . Debbie Reynolds , of course , shines in her role as Aggie , the wizard witch grannie to Marnie , Dylan , and Sophie . Marnie , play by Kimberly J. Brown ( until she was remould in the 4th film with Sarah Paxton ) is a massive fan favored as well . To this Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , Brown is call for about her metre in theHalloweentownmovies , and even revisits the real Halloweentown once in a while with her castmates . Every motion picture set comes with obstacles , but bringing the monster - filled Halloweentown to life-time was no easy exploit .
update on November 14th , 2022 by Amanda Bruce : There might not be any additional Halloweentown moving-picture show on the way from Disney , but the tone of the flick for certain lives on . That ’s because adept of the original movies like Kimberly J. Brown still participate in Halloween festivals in the town where the first motion picture was take . Brown and her Halloweentown II co - sensation Daniel Kountz also began date years after working together and are now occupy ! They might not have dated as teens working for Disney , but their honey story certainly makes a lot of the fan well-chosen .
Benny The Taxi Driver Was A Robot
One of the most iconic characters fromHalloweentownis emphatically Benny the skeleton hack driver . He is one of the first monsters that Marnie , Dylan , and Sophie meet in Halloweentown , and he is a recur character throughout the dealership .
When asked about how shape with Benny was , Kimberly J. Brown - who work Marnie -revealedthat he was actually a robot . " The actor dubbed his lines after filming , so we actually worked with a robot , " Brown recall , " I ’ll always remember the ‘ errr err ’ strait it made . " be intimate this contingent makes it even funnier await back on their scene together . Marnie and her siblings always look middling broken when they ’re with Benny - now the hearing know why !
The Budget Was Cut From $30 Million To $4 Million
When director Duwayne Dunham waspresentedthe handwriting forHalloweentown , he had no approximation what he was in for . " I read it and I opine , ' Holy locoweed , this is bountiful , I mean really big , ' " he recalls . Disney agreed , intromit that the celluloid would have to be cut back down importantly for be made .
Dunham began with a budget of $ 20 to $ 30 million , and by the time everything was cut , they were down to a $ 4 million budget . This was no modest cut - back , and Dunham had to get creative with path to stretch out the budget . It was n’t easy , but they made it process . " I contact with the writers , and we started going through it , " Dunham said . It took weeks to finally get the film to match the budget . Halloweentownwas filmed in only 24 days , and becameone of the Disney Channel ’s most darling Halloween movies .
There Was Almost A Different Ending
While the firstHalloweentownmovie has a happy conclusion where Marnie and the Cromwells economise Halloweentown , in the first place the end was n’t so simple . In fact , it was pretty dreary .
In the ending fans all know and love , Marnie places the talisman inside the giant pumpkin that shack in the center of Halloweentown . For thealternateending , Marnie was to order the talisman in the heart of a magical forest . As Marnie walked through the wood , she grew old and older with each dance step . Even though the ending was scrapped , they got so far as make a mold of Marnie ’s read/write head in rescript to achieve the effect .
Kimberly J. Brown Took A Mold Of Her Own Head From Set
Both the cast and crowd take a few mementos from theHalloweentownset . With an elaborate solidification like that , who could blame them ? Kimberly J. Brown , who played Marnie , says she still has a ling from set , and strangely enough , a molding of her own head ! She kept the piece that would have been originally used for the alternate ending .
Director Duwayne Dunham admits to make a pretty cool piece ofmemorabiliaas well . " We had a stained glass doer there , " Dunham recalls,"[I have ] a stained glass word picture of a black cat with an arching back and kind of an orange moon . " The coolheaded part is that his child bang it to this day , and they put it out each Halloween . " I set that in the window and I put a light behind it , " Dunham say , " that ’s my radio beacon to Halloweentown . "
Kalabar’s Spell Was Improvised
While shootingHalloweentown II : Kalabar ’s Revenge , Daniel Kountz obtain quite the surprisal when it came time to conjure the hepatic portal vein to Halloweentown . Kountz , who plays Kal , Kalabar ’s son , and the Disney Channel sequel ’s scoundrel , had to make up his own spell at the last minute . The script reads “ Kal read spell and walk through the portal , ” Kountz toldMTV . He assume that he would be given a spell to say , but this was n’t the typeface .
When asked on Seth if he had cook a spell , Kountz lied and said yes , then promptly scrambled to make something up . consider it or not , he got inspiration from a choir song he learned in school . “ I just pulled that out of nowhere , and they ended up using it , " Kountz return , " and I think it actually worked out reasonably well . "
Real Flames Shot From Marnie’s Hair Dryer
In a world of modern engineering , audiences have catch used to most effect being done with CGI technology or motion seizure . Back in the nineties , on a picture show rig with a very small budget , things had to be done otherwise . Kimberly J. Brown lease fans in on this fun fact about the fuzz beauty salon scene .
" I actually had to stand with a hair drier and real flaming shot out of it , and it was very hot , " Brownrecalled . Was it a full idea for a child to hold a hair dryer blow flames ? Brown seems to conceive so , adding , " it was very good , and very fun . "
Halloweentown Is Actually St. Helens, Oregon
Fans wonder whereHalloweentownwas filmed will be interested to roll in the hay it was n’t just on a Disney luck . In fact , the real world township of St. Helen ’s , Oregon is where it all began . The cast of characters and crew absolutely loved it there , because it really feel like stepping into another world .
Kimberly J. Brown remembers it lovingly to this day , saying,“it was the perfect location , with a town square and everything . " Director Duwayne Dunham make love the localization because of how easy it was to shoot in . He called it , " essentially an abandoned townsfolk " that was an " idealistic billet " for the film . Dunham also fell in love with the coloring material scheme of St. Helens , and admit they got prosperous , seeing as how the film budget was so small .
They Had To Reuse Extras
The small budget was a huge obstacle throughout film . From especial effects , to the number of takes they could afford , to the amount of citizenry they had on set - everything had to be planned meticulously . Dunham remembers how they made it seem like more monsters were roaming around Halloweentown than were actually present . " We had just enough [ extras ] , and we would double up and interchange costumes and make it look like there were more and different multitude and that variety of thing , " Duhman toldMTV .
It seems like the Halloweentown extras really earned their pay on this pic . Luckily for Dunham , he was working with a great chemical group of people . " Everybody really pitched in and everybody was really on board with what we were doing , so there was never any grumbling . "
Robin Thomas Lost His Voice For A Week
While everyone in the cast pass it their all , Robin Thomas , who played Kalabar , really gave his part for his role ! award , he only lost it for about a week , but that ’s still a big price to devote for an actor . Thomas remembers the intenseconditionsin which he had to shoot his epic City Hall ending conniption , and how loudly he had to scream .
With no body mic , or mic of any form , Thomas found himself having to draw out all the stops . He think of it vividly , saying , " I was having to project my voice down . There were fans . [ I was ] 150 feet or so from the camera . That was challenging . I blew my pipes out . " ThankfullyHalloweentownbecame a cult classic , so Thomas ’s vocalisation did n’t go to waste !
High School Musical Stars Were In Halloweentown High
Two years beforeHigh School Musicalbecame a Disney Channel original sensation , two of its stars found a home in Halloweentown as well . Fans may know Olesya Rulin best as Kelsi , the subdued yet lovable piano player from High School Musical . First she was everyone ’s favorite pinkish round inHalloweentown High . Rulin played Marnie ’s brother Dylan ’s love interest group , until they just decide to be friends in the end .
Another notableHigh School Musicalstar who cease up appearing in twoHalloweentownfilms is Lucas Grabeel . InHalloweentown High , he play Ethan the Warlock , and he was also appeared inReturn to Halloweentownthe same yearHigh School Musicalwas released . Apparently Disney likes to keep it all in the family !
Debbie Reynolds' Impact On Set
When asked to reflect on Debbie Reynolds after her pass , all members of the cast agree that she was the life of the set . Everyone remember her fondly for always being in a beneficial mood and wanting to avail in any way . " She ’s just very ease up and require everybody to shine as brightly as they could , " recalls director Duwayne Dunham .
Kimberly J. Brown detain close with Reynolds even after the third movie wrap . She has also save a memento from her , tellingBustle , " I actually have a note from her that she gave me when we wrapped the third motion-picture show that I ’ve had frame all of these years . "
Kimberly J. Brown Did Not Want To Be Recast
When Marnie was remould for the fourth motion-picture show in the franchise , turn back to Halloweentown , fans were very displeased , though some Redditors have admitted to enjoying the sequel . It spawned gobs of meme on the internet , poking fun at Disney for thinking that fan would n’t discover or give care that they recast the main character . In a candidinterview , Kimberly J. Brown made it very clear that she did not want to be recast as Marnie .
" I want to do the fourth one and was fully available for the shoot , " Brown said . " Nothing have me happier than playing Marnie . Disney make up one’s mind not to use me for the quaternary one , I do n’t know why . I was definitely frustrated not to do it . " If fans were n’t already raging , they are now ! rumour scheduling battle were said to be the rationality Brown was remodel , but it seems that was n’t the case .
Halloweentown High And Luck Of The Irish Were Filmed At The Same School
While Disney may be one of the expectant production companies in the world , that does n’t mean the studio is above reusing shooting locations as much as potential . This was the case for the high school whereHalloweentown Highwas filmed . Halloweentown High , the third motion picture in the franchise , was actually shoot in the same eminent school as another Disney Channel original movie , The Luck of the Irish .
This is especially apparent when fans see Aggie , play by Debbie Reynolds , teaching basketball during gymnasium class . It is distinctly the same gymnasium where we see the main character Kyle and his squad play inThe Luck of the Irish . Both tantrum involve hoops too ! There are many pellet where fan can see the same footlocker and classroom as well .
Only Two Actors Starred In All Four Films
While Debbie Reynolds did make an coming into court as grandma Aggie inReturn to Halloweentown , it was very brief . There are only two actors who returned to their parts full - force in the quaternary picture , and those are Judith Hoag who play Gwen , and Joey Zimmerman who trifle her Word Dylan . As we all know , Marnie was recast . Emily Roeske also did not return as Sophie .
The storyline essay to uphold connection to the retiring three celluloid , but ultimatelyReturn to Halloweentownfeels like an entirely different world . Thanks to the larger presence of Judith Hoag and her own disjoined storyline , as well as Zimmerman accompanying our fresh Marnie - Sarah Paxton - to Witch College , the sentiment of the original motion picture was kept somewhat intact . They even cast a prof who has a prominent resemblance to Reynolds .
Halloweentown Was Shot During A Sweltering Summer
When filming a movie this big , sometimes the stamp and crew have to deal with unexpected constituent - one of those being the weather . Halloweentownwas shot in July of 1998 , so everyone was gestate it to be hot , but not as hot as it was . It turned out being one of the hottest summers St. Helen ’s , Oregon ever had .
Joey Zimmerman , who plays Marnie ’s brother Dylan , say that thetownspeoplehad it bad . " citizenry were passing out , " Zimmerman recalls , " the fish bozo mask , and the crazy alien mask " all made for very hot costume . Even some of the master shape , like Debbie Reynolds , who almost always wears long velvet robe in the film , had it tough as well .
Kimberly J. Brown Had Input On The Third Film
Though Kimberly J. Brown may have been recast for the fourthHalloweentownfilm , she will forever be the original Marnie . Not only does she bang the movies just as much as rooter do , but she really give care about the fans . For these reason , Brown need to get involved in the plot line for the third film , Halloweentown High , to make certain that there was persistence between all of the films .
" We had a new writer with the third movie so they were gracious enough to let me have a short snatch of input , " Brown toldSeventeen . Brown screw the character , and said that being regard behind - the - scenes was important to her . Brown ’s input into the character is likelypart of what has made Marnie Piper one of the most loved movie witch .
A “Spirit of Halloweentown” Bash Is Thrown Yearly
What ’s better than watchingHalloweentown ? How about really visiting Halloweentown - St. Helen ’s , Oregon - where a " Spirit of Halloweentown " bash has been have for years . The party is to respect theHalloweentownmovies , and what good place than where it all started ?
Kimberly J. Brown , and even Debbie Reynolds have reunited at the " Spirit of Halloweentown " bash along with other cast members over the yr . thousand of fans show up in hopes of seeing their best-loved characters every year , and even just to see the Ithiel Town and the real - aliveness places that were used for the movie . The celebration run for a week in October .
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Connection
Sometimes the perks of being an actor include meeting your idols on set . This happened with Joey Zimmerman when he found out Judith Hoag would be playing his mother . Zimmerman is a bigfan of the originalTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , which Hoag starred in .
The funniest part ? He waited until afterHalloweentownwas done shoot to order her what a swelled sports fan he is ! " I wanted to be a professional , so I waited until after filming the integral first pic before exploding aboutTMNT , " Zimmerman recalls . When he find out that there would be moreHalloweentownmovies , he say that " doing the sequels was like winning some sort of lottery . " He looked forward to any scene with Hoag .
The Halloweentown Book Is Real
In the firstHalloweentownfilm , Marnie , Dylan , and Sofie are introduced to Halloweentown through a account book . When grandmother Aggie learn them theHalloweentownstory for bedtime , we see a drawing of a witch that reckon just like Marnie .
Kimberly J. Brownrevealedthat these books were especially made for the flick , and are , in fact , entirely stop books . " They had an creative person make that picture of me too so it would look a slight like me , " she recalls . " It really is a beautiful book ! But there are only a few copies made for the shoot . " Now we ’re just rummy about who has these few , coveted copies !
It Was One Of The First Disney Channel Original Movies
Halloweentownis more than just a sports fan preferent around the Halloween season , it was really one of the first ever Disney Channel original picture show ever made ! Director Duwayne Dunham recollect the outgrowth of set about the film up and running . It was during a time when Disney Channel was just starting to make their own movies , originallyHalloweentownwas sound to be a film for NBC .
" Disney Channel had just started production on their first movie , which wasBrink , " Dunham recalls . Interestingly enough , Dunham in reality wanted to directBrink , but " they offered meHalloweentown " he said , " andHalloweentownwas huge . " WhileHalloweentownmay have been the second ever to go into production , by the metre it came out it was actually the fourth ever Disney Channel original to be secrete .
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