PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN ON DISNEY'S 'ZOMBIES,' A MUSIC- AND DANCE-FILLED MOVIE, SET FOR 2018 ON DISNEY CHANNEL

Production has begun on Disney's "Zombies," a music- and dance-filled story about a groundbreaking semester at Seabrook High School; the pride and joy of Seabrook, a suburban town preoccupied with uniformity, traditions and pep rallies. That is until transfer students from Zombietown integrate into the school and a cheerleader and zombie football star, Addison and Zed, fall in love. Now, amid chaos and confusion, it's up to them to lead their community to coexistence.

Set for premiere in 2018 as part of the Disney Channel Original Movie franchise, the movie is directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, choreographed by Christopher Scott and Hornaday (both of "Teen Beach Movie"), and executive produced by Effie Brown ("Star," "Dear White People") and Hornaday.

Leading the cast are Meg Donnelly (ABC's "American Housewife") as Addison and Milo Manheim ("Ghost Whisperer") as Zed. Also starring are Trevor Tordjman ("The Next Step") as Addison's cousin and head cheerleader Bucky, Kylee Russell ("Jump In") as Zed's zombie best friend Eliza and Carla Jeffery ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") as Addison's friend Bree.

Adam Bonnett, executive vice president, Original Programming, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, "We're thrilled to be working with Jeffrey Hornaday again to bring this new world of zombies and cheerleading to life. Jeffrey and Chris Scott have delivered some of our most memorable musical sequences on Disney Channel; and now with Effie Brown on board as an executive producer, we are excited to deliver this inspirational story about tolerance, inclusion, individuality and conviction - each relatable themes for our viewers."

The story is by David Light & Joseph Raso, and teleplay by David Light & Joseph Raso and Josh Cagan ("The Duff"). Light and Raso also serve as co-producers.

In the U.S., Disney Channel has presented six of the Top 7 original cable movies ever ("High School Musical 2," "Teen Beach Movie," "Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie," "Descendants," "Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension" and "Camp Rock").

About Disney Channel

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family-inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series, movies and short-form. Currently available on basic cable and satellite in over 92 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney|ABC Television Group. Disney Channel-branded content spans television, online, mobile, VOD platforms and the Disney Channel App. Disney Channels Worldwide is a global portfolio of 120 kid-driven, family-inclusive entertainment channels and/or channel feeds available in 162 countries/territories, in 34 languages.