Meet the Cast of Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Including the Two Newcomers Leading the Future of the Franchise!)

Milo Manheim as Zed

Manheim has been at the helm of the hit musical franchise since it first debuted in 2018. He stars as Zed, a lovable zombie who fights for acceptance and unity in the monster-divided town of Seabrook.

Manheim, who is the son of actress Camryn Manheim, landed the role at just 16 years old, marking the start of his acting career.

“They’ve offered me opportunities to travel the world, meet incredible people, sing and dance,” he said of Disney during a January 2024 interview with PEOPLE. “I’m very grateful to them for providing such a unique, exciting start to my career.”

In recent years, Manheim has taken on roles outside of Disney, including the 2023 film Journey to Bethlehem, the Paramount+ series School Spirits and the 2023 horror movie Thanksgiving.

He’s also dabbled in theatre, recently starring as Seymour in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors alongside Elizabeth Gillies.

For his fourth Zombies film, the actor stepped behind the camera as an executive producer, alongside his costar Donnelly.

As for his future with the franchise, he told PEOPLE, “I am here to aid the Zombies universe however that may be … Me and Meg will absolutely be a part of this franchise in its entire existence moving forward, at least behind the camera. But we’ll see where the story takes us. But it is a very nice goodbye.”

Meg Donnelly as Addison

Another original cast member, Donnelly stars as Addison, a Seabrook cheerleader who falls in love with Zed even though they come from very different worlds.

Like Manheim, Donnelly also got her big break with Zombies. Over the years, she and Manheim have developed a very close bond.

“​​We grew up doing these movies together, so we’ve seen each other in so many phases of our life,” she said of her costar. “Going through this whole process together, there’s a part of me that nobody else will understand but Milo.”

Outside of Zombies, Donnelly has starred in Disney’s High School Musical series and the Supernatural prequel series The Winchesters. She’s also tried her hand at producing, serving as an executive producer on Dawn of the Vampires with Manheim.

“I always wanted to be on the other side of things. I just thought, what better way to do it than with Milo, and also on a movie that has been in my life for almost 10 years?” she told Deadline in July 2025. “It just felt very full circle that we get to have a say now in this movie that we’ve been a part of [for so long].”

Chandler Kinney as Willa

Chandler Kinney joined the cast in the second film as Willa, a strong-willed werewolf and the leader of her wolf pack. She reprised her role in the third and fourth films, and while her future with the franchise has not yet been revealed, she’s open to appearing in a fifth film.

“I’m always here for more,” she said during press for Dawn of the Vampires. “One thing we know about the world of Zombies is that there are no limits. The possibilities are endless, always.”

The young actress brings Willa’s fierce spirit with her into other roles as well.

“Willa is such a fierce, fabulous, self-assured, unapologetically herself character,” she told PEOPLE. “[Playing her] demanded so much of me. It was a challenge and I had to really dig to find those characteristics.”

She continued, “That’s something that I carry with me on future projects, but also just as a person trusting myself, standing up for myself, advocating for myself and those that I love most.”

Like her costars, Kinney has begun to branch out from Disney as well. She played Tabitha on the Max series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and is set to star in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle.

Kylee Russell as Eliza

Kylee Russell has portrayed Eliza, Zed’s tech-savvy best friend, since the first film. She joined the franchise with over a decade of acting experience under her belt, including roles in Disney’s Jump In and Girl Meets World, Nickelodeon’s Just Jordan and an episode of ER.

The actress has a 4-year-old daughter named Greyson and is currently expecting her second child with her partner.

While speaking to Girls United in 2022, Russell shared that she is looking forward to the day her daughter can watch Zombies and learn from its messages.

“When she’s old enough, I would like her to watch Zombies just because it focuses on inclusion,” she told the outlet. “I don’t ever want my child to look at anyone [and] be like, ‘Oh, they’re different. I don’t want anything to do with it.’ I want them to embrace different.”

Freya Skye as Nova

Freya Skye is the newest addition to the Zombies franchise. She stars as Nova, a daywalker who can harness the power of the sun. The English actress and singer-songwriter is just 15 years old, and Dawn of the Vampires marks her on-screen debut.

While speaking to Broadway World ahead of the film’s premiere, Skye revealed that she grew up watching the Zombies movies and was inspired by them to become a performer.

“It’s just crazy getting to join something that I’ve loved my whole life,” she said. “It’s big shoes to step into, but I feel super grateful that we’re the ones who get to tell the story.”

Malachi Barton as Victor

Malachi Barton is the other new cast member joining the musical phenomenon, and he plays Victor, a vampire with the power to control the wind.

Barton has been acting for several years and has appeared in a handful of Disney Channel shows and movies, including Henry Danger, Stuck in the Middle, Bunk’d and The Villains of Valley View.

While filming Dawn of the Vampires, Manheim and Donnelly served as role models for the younger actors.

“It was more so being an older sister or a mom,” Donnelly told PEOPLE. “When we wrapped, I was just watching all the kids and seeing them cry and react … I’m just so excited for them.”

The pair had nothing but praise for their new costars as well. “Working with Freya and Malachi has just been incredible because I feel like I was watching Milo and I on the first Zombies,” Donnelly explained in a video for Disney Channel.

Manheim chimed in and noted: “Individually, they’re incredible. Together, they make an amazing team.”