Bryce Dallas Howard to Lead Disney+ ‘Witch Mountain’ Series

The new Disney+ pilot is looking to be a new take on 1970s movie ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’, which has seen sequels and remakes in the past.

Actress Bryce Dallas Howard.

Given how eagerly Team Disney is combing through the archives to find shows and movies to which it has the rights as fodder for new Disney+ output, it’s surely only a matter of time before an edgy reboot of ‘Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure’ is proposed in a board room.

That day has yet to dawn, but Disney is planning a new version of the story that fuelled 1975’s ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ with Bryce Dallas Howard, Isabel Gravitt, Levi Miller, Bianca “b” Norwood and Jackson Kelly aboard as potential regulars.

We say “potential” at this point, because right now it’s only at the pilot stage.

Adapting Alexander Key’s 1968 book, ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ finds two mysterious orphan children who discover they have extraordinary powers and are chased down by a scheming millionaire.

The 1975 movie was followed by two sequels––1978’s ‘Return from Witch Mountain’ and 1982’s ‘Beyond Witch Mountain’. In 1995, a TV movie remade ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ and in 2009, ‘Race to Witch Mountain’ starred Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig.

This new show, which has Travis Fickett and Terry Matalas co-writing as executive producers and Augustine Frizzell directing and produce the pilot, is described as a modern take on the story.

Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Dwayne Johnson in 'Race to Witch Mountain.'

As for the basic plot? It reportedly follows two teens that develop strange abilities and discover their sleepy suburb may not be as idyllic as it seems…

Gravitt will play Tia, said to be a straight-A student who’s regarded by her classmates as ‘perfect,’ although she regards herself as flawed. She’s terrified of failure and is plagued by nightmares and fears that her late father’s schizophrenia is starting to exhibit itself in her. Tia has ‘hallucinations’ in which people around her step outside their living bodies and voice their deepest, darkest fears and desires and rages.

Howard, who has performances in several Disney movies under her belt but is better known to Disney+ audience as the director of ‘Star Wars’ series, will star in the pilot as Audrey, described as Tia’s devoted and loving mother. Her husband died from a mental illness and she tries to reassure a fretful Tia that she shows no sign of it following her father’s dark spiral.

Miller will play Ben, a troubled teen who makes ends meet by writing papers for other students but he’s got a hot temper and if he slugs another student, he’ll be expelled. Ben is best friends with Corey, his co-worker at the diner. He’s recently made a troubling discovery about himself; he can force others in his vicinity to move according to his will and there’s something drawing him inexplicably in the direction of Tia.

Norwood will play Corey. Corey is said to be Ben’s closest friend, an outsider with tattoos. Corey is a very mature teen who comes across older than they are. They are one step away from expulsion and put more care into looking like a My Chemical Romance song. Corey works at the local diner alongside Ben and is in his circle of trust but doesn’t appreciate it when he tries to act as their protector.

Kelly stars as Peter, Tia’s closest male friend. Peter is lovesick on the subject of Tia, but she’s unaware of his charms, and equally unaware of his devotion. But when Tia expresses her concerns about the seemingly impossible happenings around them, she learns that Peter’s observant, cautious nature might be an asset in figuring out the mystery around them.