Why did Kimberly J. Brown leave the ‘Halloweentown’ franchise and who replaced her as Marnie?

Alright everyone, it’s that time of year! Snatch up those pumpkins, don your most spellbinding, witchy attire, and power up your televisions because it’s time for the annual Halloweentown marathon.

Sure, hitting up Halloween parties is a blast, and dressing up in weirdly explicit costumes with your pals is even more fun, but few things in life deliver the sheer joy of a proper spooky marathon. Admittedly, Halloweentown might not be the scariest thing you’ll watch this year, but it’s sure to stir up some nostalgia.

As you settle in for your marathon, you might find yourself instinctively skipping the fourth film — we all do it. After all, it just isn’t the same without the original actress. Speaking of ‘witch’, has anyone ever given a clear reason why Kimberly J. Brown left the franchise?

Why did Kimberly J. Brown leave Hallowentown?

As a kid, you probably noticed that Marnie underwent quite a transformation starting from the third film – and no, it wasn’t just a matter of aging. While we were growing up, Kimberly J. Brown grew up alongside us, but the difference was striking. That’s because the fourth movie introduced a completely new actress, and the reasons behind it were never truly revealed. In fact, even the actress herself isn’t privy to the full story.

A lot of you asked why I didn’t do Halloweentown 4 and the answer to that is I’m not really sure. Some people asked me, or said that they heard that I was working on something, which was not the case at the time. I was available and ready to do it, and had talked to them about possibly doing it. But Disney decided to go in a different direction and recast the role. So that’s really all I know about the situation, and all I’m really going to say about it.

As for Disney, the company never seemed to release a statement or provide a reason for the recast. The change occurred in 2013 when Kimberly J. Brown was 29 years old. She admitted to feeling just as “bummed” as the rest of us but ultimately accepted that it was just “the way it goes.”

Who played Marnie in Return to Halloweentown?

Ultimately, the role of Marnie ended up going to Sara Paxton. Unfortunately, the replacement wasn’t well received by fans, who bombarded Paxton with hateful messages. However, the actress admitted in an interview with former Disney star Christy Carlson Romano that she loved the franchise and admired Brown’s portrayal. When she was offered the role, she immediately seized the opportunity, knowing it was a chance of a lifetime.

I watched all those movies, I loved those movies, so I was asked, and I was like ‘Hell yeah! I’m so excited!’ I get a lot of flack online for this movie. Like, every Halloween, I prepare myself, because I know that on Twitter and Instagram, there’s gonna be a lot of people hating on me.

Thankfully, neither Brown nor Paxton share ill feelings towards one another. In the same interview, Paxton admitted to having met Brown plenty of times, gushing about how “sweet,” the former Marnie actress was to her. After all, once a fan, always a fan.