It’s been 25 years Halloween town premiered and as the first-ever Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the family-friendly franchise has had a significant cultural impact. Co-stars (and newly engaged couple) Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz spoke to People about: the monumental anniversary of the film and what makes the Halloween town franchise one of a kind. Although Brown, who played teenage witch Marnie Piper in the first three parts, says she had absolutely no idea Halloween town was going to be a classic, just filming it felt special.
“I think we knew it was a special movie in the sense that we had so much fun making it and the cast all got along really well and just had a great time doing it and were excited that everyone saw him,” Brown said. , recalling how it felt to be the success of Halloween town help Disney Channel become a household name.
“Disney Channel was so new at the time… that they weren’t even in every household yet. It was really interesting to watch Halloween town grow, but also watch Disney Channel really blow up into what it is today.”
And Kountz, who joined the franchise in 2001 as the son of an evil wizard Halloweentown II: The Revenge of Kalabar, recalls that everyone on set was “nice and warm”.
“I was just a young actor and I said, ‘Oh great, I got this part in this Disney movie, super cool.’ And then I flew to Vancouver and got to work with [Brown] and all the great cast. Everyone was so nice and warm and welcoming. It was great,” he said.
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Brown and Kountz share experiences with fans
Although the stars of the film may not have imagined the impact of the film Halloween town While filming, Brown and Kountz say fans often expressed gratitude for the importance the films played in their youth.
“We’ve done some fan events and one of the things that stands out to me the most is the ‘Being normal is hugely overrated’ [line] and how much that quote meant to so many people,” Kountz said, referring to a line from the first film.
“So many people come up to me and they say, ‘I just want you to know that I got through my childhood because I felt I was different…but it made me feel better.’ It almost brings a tear to my eye when I think about how they took that, and they held it in their power, and they grew up with it, knowing, “Hey, it’s okay if I’m different, because otherwise good.’ That is amazing.”
And Brown says she’s honored when fans approach her, sharing that she learned an important lesson in acting from the late Debbie Reynolds, who played Marnie’s grandmother Aggie Cromwell in Halloween town.
“I’m so honored. One thing that impressed me as a young girl Debbie Reynolds was that she really showed me what a gift it is to be able to make people happy through performing. It’s such a gift to give people bringing joy and having this relationship with people over the movies and sharing the magic over the years.”
“I love Marnie as much as everyone else, and she was definitely a part of me. It’s just so touching. I’m so grateful to all the fans and everything else for making the movies what they are. And I’m so grateful that I can still spread some joy in the world,” she added.