Disney is reportedly in development on a new reboot of the Witch Mountain story, with rumors pointing to Star Wars and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard being attached to a role.
Over the past half-century, the Witch Mountain franchise has made a name for itself as a fan-favorite property across various iterations. The original story was first written in 1968 before being developed into a movie in 1978, also spawning a sequel before being made into two other projects in 1982 and 1995
Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson took on the most recent Witch Mountain entry with 2009's Race to Witch Mountain, although it only earned a little over $100 million at the global box office fairly early in Johnson's movie career.
Now, a new rumor indicates that fans can expect an even newer take on the iconic story, which will even feature a name that many will recognize from the pop culture landscape.
Witch Mountain Reboot Includes Star Wars Director
A new report from The Illuminerdi revealed that Disney+ is developing a Witch Mountain series based on the 1975 movie Escape to Witch Mountain.
The show will focus on two teenagers who develop superpowers, although they later find out that they're part of a town-wide conspiracy.
In terms of casting, Disney is in discussions with Bryce Dallas Howard for the role of Audrey, a single parent to the series' leading character.
The studio is also looking at Nashville's Connie Britton for the role of Dr. Louise Schoolcraft, said to be "an intelligent and dynamic woman" who comes in after an alien artifact crash-lands on an island.
Additionally, for the leading role of Tia, Disney is searching for an actress 18 years old or older to play a 16-year-old heroine.
She's listed as "honest, sporty, and well-dressed," seen by everybody other than herself as being perfect. Tia also worries about inheriting her late father's schizophrenia while interacting often with a rebel named Ben Stewart as they figure out the mystery behind Witch Mountain.
For Ben, the team is looking for an actor in the same age range to play a 16-year-old who is "sharp" with "a street edge." He comes from a troubled family and spends the series learning about his own unique superpowers.
The rumor also notes that the show is being written by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, who both worked together on Star Trek: Picard and the 12 Monkeys TV show. At least one episode will feature Augustine Frizzell as the director after her work on the pilot of Euphoria.
Bryce Dallas Howard Back in the Acting Game
Bryce Dallas Howard is best known these days for her work as a director in the Star Wars universe, with two episodes under her name for The Mandalorian and another entry from The Book of Boba Fett. She remains somewhat active on the acting side as well, voicing the newcomer Yaddle in Star Wars' most recent release, Tales of the Jedi.
While this new role isn't official yet, it appears to be her biggest on-screen appearance in some time as she joins her latest major franchise as an actor. With her recent success alongside Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt and many others in Jurassic World: Dominion in Summer 2022, she now gets to add another legacy piece to her resume with her rumored addition to the Witch Mountain series.
And even though development on the series will slowly make progress over the coming months, having Howard involved is a huge win as Disney looks to bring this story back to the forefront for a new generation.
