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.” ■

Disney Channel’s latest original movie, Zombies, drew 2.7 million viewers in its Feb. 16 premiere, the network said Tuesday.

The movie, which follows the exploits of zombie students who transfer to a human, suburban high school, also drew 1.14 million viewers in the kids 6-11 demo and 752,000 viewers among girls 6-11 – the most viewers for any show in both demos since the July 2017 debut of Disney’s Descendants 2 original film, said network officials.

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Zombies also topped NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage among the both kids' demos for the night, said Disney.

Overall, Zombies reached 10.3 million over eight telecasts during the President’s Day weekend.

AMC will bring back its highly-rated, zombie-themed series The Walking Dead for a ninth season with a new showrunner and executive producer, the network said Saturday. 

Angela Kang will serve as the executive producer of the show’s ninth season, replacing Scott Gimple, who was elevated to chief content officer, overseeing The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead and all potential brand extensions, said the network. Kang had served as a writer on the show since 2011 and co-executive producer since 2013, according to AMC. 

“We are proud to acknowledge Angela’s significant contribution to the series and to set a clear path forward for a ninth season under her direction,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC in a statement. “Further, with gratitude and admiration, we also recognize Scott’s broad impact on, and leadership of, the content that fuels our TWD universe. Together, we will dream bigger and more broadly than ever before.”

The Walking Dead's season eight, mid-season finale drew nearly 8 million viewers in live plus same day ratings. The show will resume on AMC on Feb. 25. 

Disney Channel in February will debutZombies,its first original movie of 2018, the network said Friday.

The film, which stars Milo Manheim (Ghost Whisperer) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife)as a zombie football player and a mortal cheerleader who challenge tradition, become friends and shake up the populace at a fictional High School, will premiere Feb. 16 on Disney Channel and Feb. 17 on digital platforms DisneyNOW and VOD, said network officials.

The movie was directed by Paul Hoen (Camp Rock 2) and executive-produced by Effie Brown (Real Women Have Curves) with Christopher Scott (So You Think You Can Dance) and Jeff Hornaday (Teen Beach Movie) handling the film’s choreography, said Disney.

Streaming service Hulu has renewed its freshman horror series Freakish for a second season, the network said Monday.

The zombie-themed series, produced by Awesomeness TV, will return for a 10-episode sophomore campaign, according to Hulu.

Freakish revolves around a group of students fighting for their lives after a deadly chemical explosion traps them within a high school along with predatory mutants.

Freakish is executively produced by series creator Beth Szymkowski, as well as Shelley Zimmerman, Chris Grismer, Kay Reindl and Erin Maher.

AMC has renewed its The Walking Dead prequel Fear The Walking Dead for a fourth season in advance of the series' June 4 season three premiere, network officials said Friday.

 The fourth season of the series will feature new co-showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (Once Upon A Time). In addition, Scott Gimple will join the show as executive producer, said the network.

AMC previously announced that Fear the Walking Dead showrunner Dave Erickson would be transitioning off of the show after the third season season to develop new products for AMC Studios.

The series averaged 5.3 million viewers during the second half of its second season, including 3.4 million adults 25-54 and 3 million adults 18-49 in Nielsen live+3 ratings.

“We're very excited to continue the journey of Fear The Walking Dead, and truly look forward to working with the talented team of Andrew Chambliss, Ian Goldberg, and Scott Gimple,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV in a statement.

Sunday’s season five finale of AMC’s zombie-themed series The Walking Dead drew 15.8 million viewers, the network said Monday.

The 90-minute episode was the most watched finale in series history – besting season four’s 15.6 million viewers – and drew 10.4 million adults 18-49, said network officials.

The 15.6 million viewers fell short of the 17.3 million viewers for last October’s season five premiere.

AMC’s live follow-up talk show Talking Dead drew a record 7.5 million viewers and 4.9 million adults 18-49, said network officials. 

“It’s tough enough in today’s competitive environment to command attention, and even harder to hold onto it,” said AMC president Charlie Collier, in a statement.  “So, for The Walking Dead to maintain this level of urgent viewership in its fifth season – and to end with the highest-rated finale in series history – is really something rare and remarkable.” 

The fifth time was the charm for AMC's walkers.

The season-five premiere of the The Walking Dead on Sunday night delivered  17.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen live + same-day data. That was the largest audience in cable TV history for a drama series episode, surpassing the previous record-holder, the zombie show's fourth-season bow before 16.1 million, by 7%.

AMC renewed the series for a sixth campaign last week.

The Oct. 12 telecast also drew 11 million persons 18 to 49, a 6%, bump from the 10.4 million of those watchers for the season-four premiere, as the show continues to be television's best with the demo Madison Avenue prefers most. Sunday night’s episode outperformed everything else on television in this key demographic, including NBC's Sunday Night Football, by over 2.5 million adults in the aforementioned group.

With time-shifted playback, the season five premiere should exceed 22 million viewers, estimated AMC officials. With seven days of DVR playback included, the season-four premiere delivered 21.1 million total viewers and 13.9 million adults 18 to 49, becoming the most highly-rated episode in cable television history.

Talking Dead, the live aftershow, also enjoyed record ratings last night, as its fourth-season bow on Sunday was the highest-rated premiere in its history with 6.9 million viewers and 4.5 million in the demo, gains of 34% and 35%, respectively, from the start of last season.

“It’s a Dead man’s party. Who could ask for more?” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “Enormous thanks to our friends and executive producers Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Greg Nicotero – who also directed last night’s terrific premiere – Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert and Tom Luse and all of their fellow producers, cast and crew for everything they do to make the #1 show on television such a unique and incredible experience for the fans. The Walking Dead is one of those increasingly rare shows today that can command a live audience not significantly cannibalized by time-shifted viewing. Who would have thought that cannibalized television could be curtailed by cannibal-ized television?”

Animal Planet will develop zombie animal graphic novel The Other Dead into a scripted series, the network said Friday

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The Other Dead, which follows the lives of post-storm Louisiana residents dealing with undead animals and unrelenting storms, will debut on the channel in 2016. The series is based on a graphic novel produced by IDW Publishing and created by Joshua Ortega (Star Wars, Spider-Man) and Digger Mesch (X-Men, Payday).

“This is an intriguing choice for Animal Planet as the network further branches out into different, dynamic genres,” says Rick Holzman, executive vice president and general manager of Animal Planet in a statement.