Zombies 5 will introduce a new group of supernatural beings with evil plans to take back where is theirs, according to plot details that surfaced online. Zombies began in 2018 as a Disney Channel Original Movie before expanding into four additional films, an animated series, and even two concert tours featuring songs from the franchise. Arriving in Summer 2027, Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea will finally introduce the mermaids first teased at the end of Zombies 3, expanding the world established throughout the franchise.
Plot details for Disney’s Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea emerged online, offering new details about what to expect from the next installment in the franchise. As shared by @DisneyChannelHQ on X via Disney Channel Japan, Zombies 5 will bring together the two factions introduced in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the Daywalkers and Vampires, as they attend school together under the watchful eye of Principal Bucky. A character from the original Zombies trilogy, Bucky has not been seen since Zombies 3 and is reportedly brought back after Zed and Addison, the latter of whom is his cousin, hire him to oversee the school.
Several characters' individual plotlines were also revealed, including vampire Vera joining the cheerleading squad and vampire Vargas setting his sights on becoming a top student in his class. However, a new threat is on the horizon in the form of the mermaids, who were teased at the end of Zombies 4 when Nova and Victor witnessed a water cyclone emerge from the sea.
Speaking of Nova and Victor, the franchise’s new co-leads who developed a romantic relationship in the previous installment, the pair will have to do everything they can to stop the mermaids in Zombies 5. Initially described as friendly, the mermaids will seemingly enroll at the school with a sinister agenda: "revive their tarnished homeland during the school's big show with a siren mind-control performance," potentially putting the entire school at risk.
Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea began production shortly after the release of Zombies 4 in Summer 2025, with franchise stars Milo Manheim (who indicated that another Zombies trilogy is in the works) and Meg Donnelly returning as executive producers. Freya Skye (Nova) and Malachi Barton (Victor) will once again lead the cast, joined by a mix of new and returning actors. Targeting a Summer 2027 release, the film will likely follow a similar rollout to Zombies 4, with an initial Disney Channel premiere followed by a Disney+ streaming debut the next day.
How Will Disney's Zombies 5 Lead Into Next Movie?
With Zombies 5 introducing mermaids as the franchise’s latest group, the film could once again leave the door open for another batch of creatures to join Seabrook. The franchise has established a pattern of teasing new beings before introducing them in the following installment. If that trend continues, Zombies 5 may lay the foundation for whatever new threat or group comes next.
As of writing, Disney has not officially announced Zombies 6, so there are no confirmed details about where the franchise could go after Secrets of the Sea. Still, its expanding mythology leaves plenty of possibilities. With all the groups previously teased in earlier installments now having made their way into the franchise, new creatures such as ghosts or fairies could easily be hinted at during Zombies 5 as potential additions to a sixth movie.
Additionally, Bucky’s return could open the door for another original character to make a comeback in Zombies 6. Several werewolves, for example, have not been seen in the franchise for some time, leaving characters such as Wyatt with an opportunity to return in a future installment.
