We all know that Hallmark's signature holiday is Christmas. The Hallmark Channel is filled with Christmas romance movies, with a few outliers sprinkled here and there. In recent years, however, they have started adding some Halloween-themed romances as well. And this year's movie is filled with references to all things All Hallows' Eve.
For those who grew up watching Disney Channel movies, Hallmark's Haul Out the Halloween will fill you with nostalgia. And by making the casting choices that they did, Hallmark has guaranteed a good turnout for a film that is actually the third in a series.
What is Haul Out the Halloween about?
Haul Out the Halloween is the third installment in the Haul Out the Holly film series. The series follows Emily (Lacey Chabert) as she tries to keep up with the HOA's expectations for holiday decorations. Her parents leave for the holidays, entrusting Emily with their house while they're gone. They also enlist the neighbors in playing matchmaker between Emily and a neighbor, Jared (Wes Brown), whom she once had a crush on.
In this third movie, new neighbors move in down the street from Emily and Jared, and these neighbors love Halloween. I'm talking completely obsessed. So these new neighbors convince everyone to get into the spooky spirit and the neighborhood that is usually decked out in all Christmas will now look more like The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Who are the new neighbors?
The casting for Haul Out the Halloween is simply brilliant. The Halloween-loving neighbors, Luna and Marvin, are played by none other than Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz. Brown and Kountz are a real-life couple and, aside from their TikTok videos, they are best known for their roles in Disney Channel's Halloweentown franchise.
Kimberly J. Brown played the main character, Marnie, who learns at 13 that she comes from a long line of witches. Her grandmother, Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds) lives in another dimension full of monsters, witches, and ghouls. Halloweentown is their home and they can live in peace away from humans. But there is an evil lurking in Halloweentown that threatens to destroy that peace.
Real-life Halloween romance
The sequel, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, is where we are introduced to Daniel Kountz's character, Kal. If you can't guess by his name and the title of the movie, he is the son of the first film's villain. And yep, he's evil too. Kal flirts with Marnie to get her to let her guard down so that he can destroy Halloweentown and the human world.
Brown and Kountz met as teenagers while filming Halloweentown II, but nothing really came of it at the time. It wasn't until years later that they reunited and began dating. They were married on April 19, 2024. And all fans of the Halloweentown movies did a collective squeal at the cuteness!
Easter eggs and references
While we don't know if Hallmark added any references or lines from the Halloweentown movies into Haul Out the Halloween, it would be a wasted opportunity not to. With Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz starring alongside the main characters, I hope to hear at least something that takes me back to my childhood Halloweens.
The only thing that could make me any more excited for this Hallmark movie would be if Debbie Reynolds could make an appearance. Sadly, since she passed away in 2016, that is impossible. But, I really hope they have even a small tribute to her as the matriarch of the Halloweentown franchise.
Haul Out the Halloween may be the third movie in a mostly Christmas film collection, but by casting a real-life couple who could be crowned king and queen of the Halloween dance, Hallmark has ensured that all of their fans are sure to tune in. I certainly will be!
Haul Out the Halloween premieres on Hallmark Channel Saturday Oct. 11, 2025 at 8pm EST, and streams on Hallmark+ the next day. If you want to check out the Halloweentown movies, they are streaming on Disney+.
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