Hollywood turned undead and fabulous as Disney Channel and Disney+ rolled out the (blood-red) carpet for the World Premiere of ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires at the legendary El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. Fans and celebs alike flocked to celebrate the next installment of Disney’s monstrous megahit franchise, which continues to electrify Gen Z audiences with its supernatural drama, high-voltage music, and glittering ensemble cast.
The highly anticipated ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires premieres Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel, with a global streaming launch on Disney+ the following day, July 11.
A Premiere to Die For: Vampires, Daywalkers, and Disney Royalty Take Over Hollywood
From monster mash to red carpet glam, Disney pulled out all the stops. ZOMBIES franchise heartthrobs and executive producers Milo Manheim (Zed) and Meg Donnelly (Addison) arrived hand-in-hand, glowing as they introduced their next undead chapter alongside castmates Malachi Barton, Freya Skye, Chandler Kinney, Julian Lerner, Sway Bhatia, and Mekonnen Knife.
Also in attendance were OG ZOMBIES stars Trevor Tordjman, Carla Jeffery, Kingston Foster, Pearce Joza, Emilia McCarthy, Jasmine Renee Thomas, and Noah Zulfikar, reuniting for a night of fang-filled fun and nostalgia.
It wasn’t just a night for zombies. The “monsterverse” crossover is real, with Descendants: The Rise of Red stars Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Dara Reneé, and Joshua Colley showing up to support and promote the Descendants/ZOMBIES: Worlds Collide Tour, a 43-city arena mega-tour launching later this summer.
El Capitan Transformed: From Premiere to Monster Party
Inside the El Capitan Theatre, things got wild. Rival DJ sets hyped the “Daywalkers vs. Vampires” conflict in the film, with music pulsing and fans cheering as characters came to life onstage and onscreen.
The guest list? Straight out of a Disney multiverse dream. Stars like Bailee Madison, Camryn Manheim, Tiffani Thiessen, Alfonso Ribeiro, Reid Scott, and Neal McDonough mingled with talent from other hit Disney Branded Television projects:
- Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
- Descendants: Wicked Wonderland
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians
- Vampirina: Teenage Vampire
- and brand-new breakout Electric Bloom, whose stars Lumi Pollack, Carmen Sanchez, Ruby Marino, and Nathaniel Buescher made their Disney carpet debut.
Inside the Plot: New Blood, Old Love, and a Monster-Sized Threat
In ZOMBIES 4, Zed and Addison’s long-awaited summer vacation detours into chaos when they stumble into a supernatural feud between Daywalkers and Vampires.
Acting as camp counselors, the pair tries to mediate peace between two leaders: radiant Daywalker Nova (Freya Skye) and brooding Vampire Victor (Malachi Barton). With help from returning fan-favorites Eliza (Kylee Russell) and Willa (Chandler Kinney), Zed and Addison must rally both sides before an ancient evil threatens to destroy everything.
The Legacy of ZOMBIES: Dominating the Youth Entertainment Arena
Since its debut in 2018, ZOMBIES has clawed its way to the top of the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) dynasty. The numbers don’t lie:
- #1 cable telecast among kids and tweens for each of the first three films during their release years.
- Nearly 250 million streaming hours and counting on Disney+.
- Over 5.7 billion music streams across YouTube and Disney’s platforms.
- ZOMBIES and ZOMBIES 3 topped the Billboard Top Kid Albums chart.
And it’s only just getting started.
Music, Merch & the Multi-Media Empire
On July 11, fans can get their claws on the “Music from ZOMBIES” vinyl album, a 1-LP green pressing featuring 12 of the franchise’s biggest anthems:
- “We Own the Night”
- “Call to the Wild”
- “Someday”
- “The Place to Be”
- “Dream Come True”
- “Don’t Mess With Us” (from ZOMBIES 4)
In tandem with the movie’s release, Disney will also roll out an all-new product line including apparel, accessories, costumes, and Mattel fashion dolls, further cementing ZOMBIES as a cross-platform phenomenon.
Tour Alert: Descendants/ZOMBIES: Worlds Collide Is Coming for You
This summer, the music comes alive in real time. The “Descendants/ZOMBIES: Worlds Collide Tour” will bring the hits of ZOMBIES 4 and Descendants to 43 arenas across North America, in what’s shaping up to be the most monster-packed, costume-heavy, scream-along event of the year.
The Bite That Keeps on Giving
With fangs, flair, and fanfare, ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires proves the franchise isn’t just alive it’s thriving. As Disney continues to merge its most iconic youth worlds and champion inclusive, genre-bending storytelling, Zombies stands tall as the rare franchise that keeps getting better, bigger, and bolder with every chapter.
And when the sun sets on premiere night, one thing’s for sure: the vampires may be new, but the ZOMBIES dynasty is eternal.
