Honestly, the Witch Mountain television show felt like one of those projects that was destined to be a hit. You had a massive legacy brand, a cast lead by Bryce Dallas Howard, and a creative team that actually knew how to handle sci-fi. But as of 2026, if you’re looking for it on your Disney+ home screen, you’re going to be looking for a long time.
It’s dead.
Well, "dead" is a harsh word in Hollywood, but Bryce Dallas Howard basically confirmed at Fan Expo Canada that the pilot wasn't picked up. It's a bummer. For those of us who grew up with the 1975 original or even the 2009 Dwayne Johnson version, this was supposed to be the "modern" reimagining that finally grounded the story. Instead, it’s become a piece of lost media—a finished pilot sitting on a server somewhere in Burbank that we might never actually see.
The Witch Mountain Television Show That Almost Was
The project was officially greenlit as a pilot back in late 2022. This wasn't just a low-budget experiment. Disney brought in Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett. If those names sound familiar, it’s because they’re the minds behind the 12 Monkeys series and Star Trek: Picard Season 3. They know how to take old IP and make it feel vital again.
The setup was a bit different from the "two kids in a flying saucer" vibe of the 70s. It was set in a sleepy suburb—typical eerie Disney atmosphere—where two teens start realizing they aren't exactly normal.
- Tia (Isabel Gravitt): She was the "perfect" student, but she was secretly terrified that she was developing schizophrenia like her late father. In reality, she was having "hallucinations" where people’s souls basically stepped out of their bodies to scream their darkest secrets. Heavy stuff for a Disney show.
- Ben (Levi Miller): A local "bad boy" who writes papers for money. He discovers he can physically manifest his will onto others, basically forcing them to move like puppets.
- Audrey (Bryce Dallas Howard): Tia’s mom. She was described as a "mama bear" type, but the casting notes hinted that she—like everyone else in this weird town—was hiding something massive.
They filmed the whole pilot in Toronto. The cast loved it. The crew loved it. Then, the Great Streaming Contraction of the 2020s hit.
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Why Did Disney Scrap It?
You’ve probably noticed that Disney+ looks a lot different now than it did three or four years ago. There was a time when they were greenlighting everything—Willow, National Treasure, Turner & Hooch.
Most of those shows are gone now.
The Witch Mountain television show fell victim to a massive shift in strategy. Under Bob Iger’s return, the focus shifted toward "proven" hits (basically just Marvel and Star Wars) and away from mid-budget sci-fi reboots. Even though the pilot was finished, Disney decided it was better for the bottom line to take a tax write-off or simply not spend the millions required to market a full season.
It’s the same fate that befell The Spiderwick Chronicles, though that show was lucky enough to be sold off to Roku. As of now, no one has bought the Witch Mountain pilot.
The Legacy of the Franchise
Is the franchise cursed? Maybe. It’s had a weirdly disjointed history:
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- 1975: Escape to Witch Mountain becomes a cult classic.
- 1978: Return from Witch Mountain brings in Bette Davis (yes, really).
- 1982: Beyond Witch Mountain—this was actually the first attempt at a TV series. It failed.
- 1995: A made-for-TV remake that most people have wiped from their memory.
- 2009: Race to Witch Mountain with The Rock. It was a decent hit, but never got a sequel.
The 2022/2023 pilot was supposed to be the one that finally stuck. It was aiming for a Stranger Things meets X-Files tone.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A lot of fans think the show was cancelled because it was "bad." That’s almost never the case with pilots at this level. Usually, it’s about "fit."
The tone of this version of the Witch Mountain television show was reportedly much darker than previous iterations. We’re talking about a show where the lead character thinks she’s losing her mind and sees people's "inner rages" manifesting. That might have been a tough sell for a platform that was trying to lean back into "family-friendly" territory to keep subscribers happy.
Also, let’s be real: sci-fi is expensive. If you aren't pulling The Mandalorian numbers, it’s hard to justify the VFX budget for kids throwing cars with their minds every week.
Can We Still Watch the Pilot?
Short answer: No.
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Long answer: Unless there’s a massive leak or Disney decides to dump it as a "special presentation" during a slow month, it’s going to stay in the vault. Bryce Dallas Howard has been pretty vocal about her disappointment, which usually means the actors have moved on to other contracts. She’s busy with Star Wars and her own directing career.
If you’re desperate for a fix, the best you can do is go back and watch the 1975 original on Disney+. It’s surprisingly moody and holds up better than the 90s remakes.
What You Should Do Instead
If you were hyped for the Witch Mountain television show, there are a few ways to scratch that itch:
- Track down the original book: Alexander Key’s 1968 novel is actually much darker and more "sci-fi" than the Disney movies ever were.
- Watch 'The Watcher' or 'Streamline': See the lead actors, Isabel Gravitt and Levi Miller, in the roles that actually got them cast in the first place.
- Follow Terry Matalas: He’s one of the best sci-fi showrunners working today. Whatever he does next will likely have that same "mysterious powers" vibe he was bringing to Witch Mountain.
The "sleepy suburb with a dark secret" trope isn't going anywhere, even if this specific mountain stays buried for a while longer.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of lost media, keep an eye on fan-run archives and "Save Our Show" style campaigns. While Disney rarely reverses a pilot cancellation, the high-profile nature of the cast (Bryce Dallas Howard) makes this a prime candidate for a "behind-the-scenes" leak or a future licensing deal with a smaller streamer like Roku or Tubi.