Conservative advocacy group One Million Moms is warning parents about Disney’s upcoming series “Coven Academy,” saying it pushes witchcraft on children and teenagers. The PG-V series premieres Oct. 1 on the Freeform channel and the rest of the season begins streaming a day later on Disney+, Hulu and Freeform on Demand.
In an online alert, the group said the series continues an agenda by Disney that pushes witches, warlocks and sorcery, along with secular values, onto young viewers, particularly tweens and teens. It called the show an original teen drama, or “teen soap opera.”
The group cited two Bible passages, Isaiah 8:19-22 and Deuteronomy 18:10-11, saying they warn against consulting mediums and taking part in witchcraft in any form.
The group said the show’s trailer features teenagers with anger issues, a witch sisterhood theme, teen romance and vampires. It said the teaser trailer is set to the song “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo, an avid supporter of Planned Parenthood.
The group is asking supporters to sign a pledge stating that they “will not support Disney or ‘Coven Academy.’” It also asked supporters to share the alert by email and on social media after signing the pledge.
Disney+, in a release announcing the teaser trailer, said “Coven Academy” was created by Tim Federle, who serves as executive producer. The streaming service said the show is told in short, fast-moving chapters meant to pull viewers deeper into the story with each one. The series was originally slated to air on Disney Channel before being switched to Freeform ahead of the teaser trailer’s release, according to Just Jared Jr.
The streaming service said the series is set in New Orleans, where three teenage witches and their warlock classmates attend an elite school for magic. It said the stakes at the school run high, where a secret exposed can prove fatal and a romance can cost a student everything.
The coven is caught between old supernatural conflicts and forbidden romantic ties, and its members must decide what risks they are willing to take for their own safety and for New Orleans, the streaming service said. It said the teaser trailer reveals tension within the group, driven by mysteries around Briar’s past and Jake’s dangerous ambitions.
The cast includes Malina Pauli Weissman as Briar, a New Yorker who discovers she is a witch; Malachi Barton as Jake, a warlock with a dangerous edge; and Jordan Leftwich as Sasha, a student who can read minds. Weissman previously appeared in “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” Barton in “Camp Rock 3” and “Zombies 4,” and Leftwich in “The Family Switch.”
The cast also includes Ora Duplass as Tegan, a witch who can bend time; Louis Thresher as Ollie, a newly turned vampire; and Tiffani Thiessen as Miss Graves, the head of the school. Duplass previously appeared in “Their Town,” Thresher in “Boarders,” and Thiessen in “White Collar” and “90210.”
Devon Sawa, known for “Chucky” and the “Final Destination” films, appears as a special guest star playing Mr. Cole, a warlock professor at the school, the streaming service said. The recurring cast includes Swayam Bhatia as McKenna, Brendon Tremblay as Alexander, Keegan Connor Tracy as Tamora, B.J. Harrison as Agnes and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre as Teese.
Federle, whose past credits include the “High School Musical” television series and an upcoming sequel to “Romy and Michele,” created the show and is one of its executive producers. The others are Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Amanda Row and Bronwyn North-Reist.
The series is produced by Federle’s own company, Chorus Boy Productions, in association with Disney Kids & Family.
