Return to Halloweentown

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Return to Halloweentown
Directed by David Jackson
Produced by Don Schain
Written by Max Enscoe
Annie DeYoung
Starring Sara Paxton
Debbie Reynolds
Joey Zimmerman
Judith Hoag
Lucas Grabeel
Summer Bishil
Distributed by Disney Channel
Release date(s) October 20, 2006
Preceded by Halloweentown High

Return to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the third sequel to the DCOM Halloweentown. In this sequel, Marnie Piper (Sara Paxton) and her brother, Dylan Piper (Joey Zimmerman), go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown. While at college, dark forces try to control her magic.

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Unlock the Ultimate Secret on October 20 2006

[edit] Plot Summary

In this movie, Marnie Piper is extended a full scholarship to Halloweentown's "Witch University", a prestigious school built out of an old Cromwell family castle. Gwen is doubtful at first, but allows Marnie to go if Dylan can go along with her. They head into Halloweentown, and are driven by Benny the Skeleton to the school. There, they meet the Sinister Sisters. Dylan falls in love with the trio's leader Scarlett immediately. Marnie begins to levitate her suitcases, but they collapse when Dr. Grogg recites the school's newest rule: No Magic. Marnie becomes upset, stating that the whole reason she wanted to go to a witch school was to use her magic.

Marnie goes up to her dorm room and is visited by a hologram of her grandmother Aggie. She explains that there is something going on in Halloweentown, but a disruption causes Aggie to disappear. Marnie receives a letter to meet with her Resident Advisor. She knocks and enters into the RA's room, but does not see anything but a lamp on the floor. Suddenly she is whisked away into the Genie's lamp where she meets Aneesa, her Resident Advisor. Aneesa gives Marnie information about what's happening at Witch University.

During one of Marnie's classes, a silver box with the words "S. Cromwell" on it presents itself to her, as if it belonged to her. The box is confiscated by the fossil himself, Dr. Grogg. Grogg, the Sinister Sister's father (Silas), and some of the teachers are in a group called "The Dominion" that Ethan's father used to be involved in. Later on in the movie, "The Dominion" plan to try to get Marnie to open the box, which supposedly hold a special Cromwell "Gift".

After the class, Marnie goes to one of her teachers, Professor Periwinkle, who tells her that S. Cromwell stood for Splendora Cromwell. She speaks about how she was Splendora's best friend. Marnie asks Dylan to help her find more information about Splendora. He leads her to a library where all of the books are about the Cromwell family history. He reveals that he has been using magic to "speed read", which gives an explanation to him skipping a grade. He speed reads through all of the books in the library, and discovers that Splendora hid "The Gift" in that silver box for a thousand years. The scene cuts to a lair, where Silas and the rest of The Dominion reside. It is revealed that they are watching Dylan, and they decide to use him in their plot to take over Halloweentown. She goes to Professor Periwinkle and askes her for help. Professor Periwinkle helps Marnie go 1,000 years into the past to find Splendora and ask her about the Gift.

Marnie travels back in time to find a young girl who resembles her closely (everything except for hair color), refusing to become Queen of Halloweentown. This girl, Splendora, reveals to Marnie that her middle name is Agatha. Marnie stands in disbelief as she quietly whispers, "you're my grandmother." The two begin to speak, and Splendora tells Marnie about the Gift. The Gift was a necklace that had great power to give the wearer complete control over any person--but it could only be worn by a Cromwell witch. Marnie asks Splendora why can't she just destroy the gift, but she tells Marnie that it took three Cromwells to create it so it had can only be destroyed by three Cromwells. Splendora decides to lock it up forever then she gives the key to Marnie, and she returns to the future to open the box.

When Marnie returns it is Halloween and she needs to find two more witches that have Cromwell blood to help her destroy the Gift. Marnie finds Dylan under the control of the Sinister Sisters, who turn him into a dog. Marnie calls on her mother for help, and Gwen quickly rushes to the scene. Gwen has been waiting all this time for her children to say they need her, she felt as if they had "flown away from the nest" and forgotten about her. She is very excited to help out and quickly changes into witch's clothes. Marnie, Gwen and Aneesa watch Dylan on a witch's glass that resembles a laptop computer, and soon Marnie is transported to the Dominion's Lab. Silas explains that Marnie can be Queen for one night, if she will wear the necklace and make all of the creatures slaves and at midnight the spell will be permanant . He tells her that if she doesn't use the Gift to put Halloweentown under their control, then Dylan will be a dog forever. Marnie, Gwen and Aneesa make a secret plan to stop the Dominion.

On Halloween night, Marnie tricks the Dominion when she receives the gift. Instead of making all of the creatures slaves, she orders Aneesa, Dylan, and Gwen destroy the gift to save Halloweentown. The Dominion try to escape, but they are caught and trapped in a witch's glass by Professor Periwinkle, who reveals that she has been in the "Halloweentown Anti-Dominion League" for ten centuries. It is later found out that Ethan is now a mortal since because of his father's crime his father was forced to give up his magic and so Ethan decided to renounce his own. When Gwen finds out Ethan is now mortal, she smiles, telling Marnie, "I knew there was something I liked about that boy!" . Since their father is captured, the Sinister Sisters lose their powers as well, which means that they're now mortal. One of them even exclaims sadly, "We might as well be ugly!" At the end of a hectic adventure, Gwen decides to let Dylan and Marnie stay at Witch University. The last scene reveals that Marnie didn't really destroy the Gift, and that she actually gave it to Dylan,and because all spells cast at midnight are permanant,The Gift now belongs to him.He quickly hides it in a book, not ready to handle its power. Dylan's door closes and the credits roll, leaving a nice cliffhanger for a possible sequel.

[edit] Cast

Actor Role
Sara Paxton Marnie Piper/Young Splendora Agatha Cromwell
Judith Hoag Gwen Piper
Lucas Grabeel Ethan Dalloway
Debbie Reynolds Splendora Agatha Cromwell
J. Paul Zimmerman Dylan Piper
Summer Bishil Aneesa the Genie
Keone Young Silas Sinister
Kristy Wu Scarlett Sinister
Christopher Robin Miller Young Troll
Kellie Cockrell Sage Sinister
Katie Cockrell Sapphire Sinister
Dan Young Dr. Ichabod Grogg
Eliza Wren "Geeky" Girl
Leslie Pomeroy Dr. Goodwin
Millicent Martin Professor Periwnkle
Darren Ewing Morose Cashier
Robin DeSantis Fairy

[edit] Trivia

In order to meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article's trivia section requires cleanup.
Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
  • Sara Paxton has replaced Kimberly J. Brown as the role of Marnie in this movie.
  • A teaser trailer aired on August 25, 2006 during The Cheetah Girls 2 premiere.
  • The first full-length trailer premiered during Disney Channel's The Cheetah Girls 2 was airing in Spanish to contribute to Hispanic Heritage Month.
  • Jump In!'s first official trailer was attached to the premiere.
  • The first official poster for "Return to Halloweentown" was released in the October 2006 issue of Disney Adventures magazine.
  • After the premiere of the movie was the the premiere of The Cheetah Girls' new music video Route 66.
  • Darren Ewing (from cult classic Troll 2) makes a brief appearance as Morose Cashier. [1]
  • Joey Zimmerman is credited as "J. Paul Zimmerman".
  • Emily Roeske's character, "Sophie" does not make an appearance in this movie, as she is witch training with Debbie Reynolds' character Aggie.
  • Professor Periwinkle say's her family and Marnie's family were friends since before Halloweentown but a little while after that, she say's that she met Splendora a little while after Halloweentown was made. But this could be due to Professor Periwinkle's family having been friends with the Cromwell family before Splendora was born and Professor Periwinkle could have been away somewhere from before Splendora was born until a while after Halloweentown was created.
  • It reveals that Marnie's grandmother's full name was Splendora Agatha Cromwell. But after stopping the Dominion's plan to take over Halloweentown, she changed her name to Aggatha Cromwell.

[edit] Mistakes

  • When Gwen uses her credit card at the supermarket, she swipes it with the magnetic strip facing up.
  • Splendora tells Marnie she has faith in her because she will train Marnie herself one day. This was a mistake in the script, because there was no way Splendora could have known that. Unless she made an oath to herself beforehand that she would train her granddaughter, even before Marnie was born (or something to that effect).
  • While Marnie is holding the box containing the "Gift", it faces one way. After it comes out of the hole in a second shot, the box is flipped.
  • In the previous three movies, every day was Halloween in Halloweentown, but in this one, Halloween was actually on October 31. (Maybe when Aggie said that every day was Halloween in Halloweentown she meant it metaphorically)
  • When Ethan goes to the gargoyles asking who has been paying them for their spying on Marnie, the shot is from his back, he is seen with both hamburgers in one hand, then the next shot this time from his front, he is shown with one hamburger within each hand.
  • When Marnie goes to the past, Splendora says to Marnie that only a Cromwell can enter the room. Yet, when Marnie is in the present, and the Sinister's snake takes Marnie through the Witch's Glass, Aneesa is there, and the spell was never taken off.
  • If Splendora didn't want any part in the Dominion's plan, why didn't she just use the "Gift" to control the Dominion? (However, she also said that her Gift was not to be used, so that could be why-even if the people in question were evil)
  • In Aneesa's room, (lamp) she tells Marnie she was the first accepted at Witch U. Later in the cafeteria, she explains only witches could attend at the time, then Marnie changed it without realizing it. How could Aneesa(a genie) attend if only witches were allowed?

Explanation : Aneesa was the first Genie, as well as the first non-witch to attend Witch U. This doesn't neccesarily mean that she went when only witches were allowed. If only witches were allowed, then she couldn't have gone to Witch U. Since Marnie was a high school senior in Halloweentown High (18 years old) and assuming that Return To Halloweentown takes place the next year, but before Marnie turns 19, both Aneesa and Marnie are Witch U freshmen. But, as Aneesa spoke as if she had attended Witch U before the start of the current school year that is just starting, then Halloweentown's schools must start at a different time than the mortal world. Halloweentown High was in October. So, if Witch U opened to everyone after this, then school in Halloweentown must start their year sometime in October. But deliberation was probably needed so Witch U probably started admitting non-witches a few months later.

  • Marnie claimed she needed a time spell, but in the second movie she used one multiple times.

[edit] Cultural References

  • Power of Three is defintely known to be used by the Halliwell sisters known as the Charmed Ones.
  • Professor Periwinkle is heard saying, "Ah, Splendora Cromwell, now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time." Marnie responds, saying "You're not going tell me that's you, are you? Because I'm getting a really weird Star Wars moment here."
  • Gwen uses the line, "With power comes responsibility," to which Marnie retorts that she "stole that from from Spider-man!".
  • Marnie twitches her nose to use magic which is a refrence to the TV series, Bewitched in which Samantha, the main character does the same to use her own powers.
  • Marnie crosses her arms and blinks to use magic which is a refrence to the television series, I Dream of Jeannie, in which the main character Jeannie does the same to use her own powers.
  • At one point, Marnie says 'Beam me up, Jeannie (Genie),' a reference to Star Trek.
  • In the part where Dr. Grogg comes into the classroom, he makes a reference to G-Unit.
  • When Marnie visits Splendora in the past, Splendora mentions that "Even Merlin once said that King Arthur hated the whole royalty thing.", to which Marnie responds, "Was your father Merlin?!". Splendora responds "No, Marvin, Merlin's cousin."

[edit] See Also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1003898/

[edit] External Links

[edit] Official

[edit] Unofficial/Information Sites

[edit] Trailers

Preceded by
The Cheetah Girls 2		 Disney Channel Original Movies Succeeded by
Jump In!
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