Starring Kylee Russell as Eliza in “Zombies”

Thank you so much for joining us on this our park Hopper episode. After that incredible talk with mister Riderstrong, who joined us for a movie, we all really loved Zombies, and I cannot wait to get some more insight and some of the kind of the dirt, the deats, the tea on what went on on the set of Zombies. So we are not going to wait any longer. We have a great guest today. Please help us welcome the zombie herself, Kylie Russell.

Hi, Hi, how are you good? How are you?

Oh? It is so great to see you. Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you.

Oh man, I mean I don't even know where to start.

You have so much we want to talk about today because we are such fans of this movie. I am famous for not liking musicals, and this is by far my favorite musical decom I've ever seen. Like, yes, ever, it was great.

He doesn't like when people just break into dance and just kind of know all the same routine, Like the whole musical element is not Will's vibe. And I'm slowly getting to him, but you guys just knocked it out of the park and I no longer have a job to do we've got him as a musical lover.

I am. I love it. It's great.

Let's talk about first your audition process. Do you remember the audition? Were you in there with anyone?

Was it just you?

I do remember before I started. I just have to say I love you both so much. You guys shaved my entire childhood.

I'm like, like, you.

Guys, Oh you're the sweetest. Thank you.

But yeah, I do remember the auditioning process. I sent in a self tape first, and then they brought me to producers and then I did one chemistry read with.

Milo, and then we.

Were at like the final auditions and I was like, okay, I don't know if I'm going to book this or not. I was like, you know, whatever happens happens. If I book it, awesome, If not, that's okay, onto the next whatever, We'll see what happens. And then next thing I know, I booked it. It kind of happened really fast, like I was really excited.

About the same time.

I was like, oh, oh, like okay, cool, here we go. Like I've never had a thing before, so this will be really exciting. And I've always wanted to do one and to see what it's become. Now, I'm like it, I yeah.

Amazing right now? It was was jump in was before this wasn't it?

Yeah? I was like nine with that one. And even with that, I was like, what do you mean I booked it?

That's so crazy.

And then I got Corbyn Blue, who I was like, don't even get me started with that, Like I great childhood was completely And with Keky Pommers, I had known her most of my life because we're family friends.

I was like, this is great.

Eat one of my idols and I get to work with a family friend and living the best life. Wow.

And you were Yeah, you were a d coom vet by that point, by your second movie, you were already You're in the club.

Yes, that's amazing. Was Milo when you did the chemistry with? Like, was he already on the movie? He was already a done thing.

I so yeah, okay, be.

Sure because he was the only person that I did a chemistry read with.

Okay, when you did your tape, did they ask you for you to also videos? Self dancing? Was dancing and singing part of the process at the very beginning, That's the thing.

So I didn't sing in myself tape by sang at the audition, not once did they see me dance. So I'm like, thankfully I had some dancing experience. And I was like, they have no idea, Like what if I just get there and cannot dance to save my life?

Do you know what I mean?

We haven't seen jump in yet. That is definitely on our list to watch. We've talked to Corbyn's so we absolutely we've got to do that one for sure. Do you guys dance because it's jump roping? Is there dance involved in it?

Do you think they there was some dancing I did not do.

Maybe they saw that.

Oh okay, what I'm thinking maybe they saw you in the movie. So no, they had Literally they could have really made a bad choice.

That's what was my first thought. I was like, I booked.

I was like I didn't have to dance, Like they don't know, like what if I sucked?

Yeah, I mean like not saying that.

I'm like like amazing dance or anything, but I had some experience and I was like, wow, like I could just go in there and.

Right.

But it is important that you can because the rehearsals are very quick and short. You don't have a ton of time rehearsing, and if you can't dance, part of choreography, the hardest part is being able to remember the moves and and if you don't have a background in that, for them to just think that you're gonna pick it up, you know, in three weeks or whatever, it is wild.

Actually, the hardest part if you can't dance is the dancing.

Well, yeah, but you can maybe fake it, but honestly, it's it's like training your.

Brain to be able.

Sure, I mean, I imagine anyone.

That gets enough time can somewhat dance. You can teach them. There's a whole show it's called Dancing with the Stars. They show you all the time that you can somewhat get through it. But if you don't have enough time, you're not going to be able to be able to do it. And Kylie, I'm telling you this is including my first the first movie that we've rewatched, this is my absolute favorite choreography we have seen yet. We've watched Descendants,

You have to be that blows me away.

They didn't make sure that you could dance because it was hard choreography.

Oh hard, because like I like train more so ballet.

So when I got with the first one, I struggled, like I really, I was faked.

I baked it till I'm like it.

Was that's really impressive.

Things you looked amazing. You just like, well, there's a specific scene I'm thinking.

Right now of when you guys are in the like zombie bash for the routine.

Bam, they look so good in it. So good. You nailed it. You nailed it, babe, you really did. Thank you so good.

I was so anxious.

I was like okay, and all the dancers are and then I'm like I can't do that, Like I can't.

I don't know what it is like in the rehearsal space.

I can follow along and I can kind of keep up, but it wasn't until like I got on camera and they're like action were like something just kind of like oh whoa clicked see and I was like okay, I got this, Like I can do it, okay, cool, wow the stars in the rehearsal space, I feel like rehearsal time.

And then on screen. It just kind of like, how.

Did that happen?

Now?

Were you before you, you know, got the film, were you a fan of the genre of kind of zombie movies and horror movies.

Was it your vibe or not at all?

Horror movies?

Yeah, zombie movies, I guess, But like because at first when I when I got the audition, I.

Was like, zombies interesting, Like is it scary? Like what is this? And then when I read the script, I was like, Oh, it's not that at all.

I was like, really it was interesting though, But yeah, I am kind of I'm a fan of horror films.

I like to be scary for sure.

I think it would have been like cool if there was like a scary element to zombies, but then again it would I don't know.

I don't think they would have the same.

Well, when you guys jump into the zombie when your guys' wriskpin stopped working and you jump into the zombie mode world. As far as where you guys are about to eat people's brains, that I think for little kids.

My daughter is almost four. She started going, oh, like like.

Looking around, like making sure I was still there, because the zombies are about to destroy the world and she's nervous now, So that part, I think four kids that age was like a little bit of that scary factor. But yeah, I was a expecting it to be a lot more of a scary movie. When the title is zombies. I was definitely thinking this is going to be more along the lines of an actual scary movie. But yeah it was. It was fun and not scary at all. What about the music aspect, have you been in music

Okay?

When I tell you, the entire time throughout like the before filming, choreography, studio time, like I just felt so out of place and constantly doing things that I wasn't hundred percent comfortable with, and like every take I do have, like, guys, just be honest with me, Like I sound stupid, Like no, sound insane.

I'm like guys, like I thought.

But I got more and more comfortable with it, so like by the time the second, third, fourth came around, I was like, okay, cool, like I kind of I know what to do. Like it's still a little uncomfortable for me, but it's fine. I've always been into music, but rapping was never do you sing?

Yeah?

Okay, all right, very cool.

Yeah. If they threw a rap at me, I I I don't know how I would handle that rapping.

I think you could figure it out.

I mean I would go for it for sure. I just don't know that I would be confident. And I think I would be doing the same thing. Does that sound no?

I think we should do again.

I would.

I would need a lot of time in the studio because I would be so uncomfortable.

Where I don't sing at all, and yet I have two rap songs out. I you swear to god, I have two rap songs out?

Do you really well?

I had to.

I had to do the naked mole rap as 'ren stoppable form possible. Okay, so a kid, did you realize, yo, there is not Papa halifrom Ron naked all rap, do all that? And then and then as a kid on Nickelodeon, I was kid fresh and had a rap song there. It's all over the internet. I gang, but I had to rap, so I rather wish I could sing.

That was better.

So you get the role and you have four weeks of rehearsal right, yes? And did you get along with the cast right away? Because it seemed like the chemistry between the cast was phenomenal.

Honestly, Yes, Okay, So when I went to the studio to record our first songs, that's when I ran into Carla. And I had known Carla Jeffreys since I was like twelve, So when I.

Saw her, I was like, Carla, what are you doing here? She's like, Kylie, but what are you doing here? I was like, zombies. She's like me too.

I was like, yes, right. So we're on the same flight. We get there, and we get to our hotel. We have together, we have like five bags and we're stuffed in this little elevator and the door opens and we fall out and we look up and it's Maggi Milo.

When I tell the whole thing was like a movie scene within itself.

Oh, we're Kylie and Carla and we all just kind of hit it off right away. And I feel like it's rare that everyone has the same type of humor. Everyone's super like non judgmental, none of that. It was just like a really fun and comfortable environment. And I, although I've always had really good times on set, I was always like the youngest, so like I did really anyone for me to like really hang out with this time.

I feel like although we were all different ages, we just all chilled right off the back.

It really shows Yeah, well were the ages do you remember?

Yes, Meg and Milo were sixteen, and then I believe I was twenty or twenty one. And then Carla I think was like three years older than me. Okay, I think was also three or four years older than me.

God, I can't believe Milo was that young. He does not see sixteen.

Wow, And even when I see them now, I still see them as like they're sixteen.

Teenagers but crazy. Yeah, wow, so fun. I love that.

It's great too because we noticed this is one of the few dcoms we've seen that didn't have somebody who was from one of their TV shows. Yeah, have somebody who's already done a bunch. I think you really had the most experienced as everyone on the GAS. But so it didn't seem like there's probably any like egos or anything like. You guys were all just like here to have the best Disney Channel experience, just super stoked to

Now, that was like what you said, they have no egos, Like I think that's what really made it. What it was was that we really were just having a really good time and we're enjoying being there.

That's great.

Yeah, wow, so fun.

Can you walk us through kind of a typical rehearsal day when you're dancing? I mean, is this an.

All day thing where you're just working and singing, choreographing, dancing all day long? How does something like that work? How do your knees not blow out? Even at that age?

And he's now gone.

So basically, like most of the time, we would do the songs back in La before we left, so the first three were in Canada, and so we do the recordings here and then fly to Canada do the dance rehearsals and like that was almost an everyday thing, like five days a week, not crazy long hours, but just enough so that we could learn everything, have enough time

Yeah, because you guys were working with a lot of like breakdancers and like people that were not just dancing, they were flipping and doing so many crazy things.

Yeah, it was out of.

This world and like the crazy flexibility and like the bone. I'm like, how, like.

That's one of the coolest experiences of my life for sure.

Yeah. So now as somebody who knows nothing about this, when you walk in your first day to see the choreography, are there dancers there that already know it? So you're kind of watching the entire routine and then you learn it, Like how does that work?

Sometimes they do that for maybe like kuy Lee or Milo, like they'll have the background dancers already have rehearsal and know the choreography, and then it's about teaching them and putting them in. But I feel like typically you're all kind of learning together.

Yeah.

So I remember the first day of rehearsal it was just us and the choreographers.

Is kind of like seeing like okay, like what can you guys do?

What can you do? Yeah?

So he taught us some things and like he was like, okay, so you guys like you.

Guys aren't back right, So so he was like, you guys can keep up, Like that's awesome. So he just kept teaching us like harder and harder things, and we were able to keep up and we got better and better. And then I want to say, the second day, they brought all the dancers in and then.

That's what we're kind of like, oh okay, here we go.

And I feel like some of them already knew it, and then a lot of the times we're all kind of learning it together, and like they would change things as we went based off of what like the director wided or what the scene had in store.

So it was cool.

And I also like I learned how to adapt quicker because like one day we'd learned choreography and it was set and then they'd be like, Okay, hold up, it's not going to be like this anymore.

So let's I'm like, oh okay, cool, cool, Like let's all right, I'm ready to go out. So that's what good learning experience for me was learning to adapt quick.

Yeah.

You mentioned the director Paul Howen. This is the second time you've actually worked with him.

Because he also did jump in Jump in right, Yeah, yeah, so how is that?

Did you feel super comfortable having him there because you had already worked with him?

And well, we had a different director for the first half of the film and then all came like finish it up and we were terrified because we're like wait, wait, wait, what's going going on? And then when I saw it, I was like, Paul, Yes, okay, cool, Like I know.

You Everything's good, you guys, it's here.

Paul's great, Like he's so funny, and like Paul is Paul, you know, and he is so funny. And there'll be times where like he'd tell you to do something and you're like I don't understand, and like it would feel like unnatural.

He's like, look, I know, it feels weird.

I know, but like just trust me, and you're like okay, and then you see it and you're like, okay, I see if you get that, that makes someone sense.

Did you ever find out why they had a different director come in halfway through?

Or I don't fully know I made creative differences or like like I I yeah, I have no idea.

When we're kids on a show, they don't usually tell us that stuff.

Yeah, don't ask very many questions, just kind of go, okay, that's.

Normal, totally normal.

Did you have a favorite from the film or favorite dance routine that you love doing.

I would say from like the first film, my favorite song of course was Someday, Like I'd assessed with it from the first moment I heard it. I was like, oh, this is the cutest song ever. Yeah, choreography wise, probably bam. That was just so much fun and like the tutting can't do it now.

But yes, it was so good. I mean I was not expecting that I had. The only thing I really knew about Zombies going in was there were cheerleaders, so I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for the style you guys brought at this point from what we've seen, we haven't seen it on the channel yet, so it was really awesome. I mean, you guys look like you were out there doing America's next best dance crew with that Mario Lopez coming out. I mean, you guys look so good, so freaking good.

It was awesome.

Thank you.

How long did the makeup sessions take to get you all zombified every day?

About like three hours, so for the first one.

A lot of it was trial and air and seeing like what worked, what didn't work, what would stay on.

While we were dancing trying out different wigs, Milo dyed his hair, so they asked me if i'd be down and I was like no, no, no.

No thanks, sorry, no.

So finding a wig that somewhat mimicked my natural hair, but you know.

Yeah, yours, Yours look great. Yours look really really good. You know, there was a couple. The little sister's wig was terrible. I don't know what happened to her. I don't know that sucked.

You did it? Oh my gosh.

Yeah, it's like say though, for the.

Fourth one, the wigs are good, okay, yeah, good styles. She has to put her hair down for once, like like they really went all out, like Rick Ross, who was our hairstylist for me and Chandler, like he made sure that we were one hundred percent confident in our wigs and yeah.

So yeah, kept up with all of that.

Okay, Well, the little sister was I think the biggest one that I recognized. And then the mom's the mom has a wig on, right, she has a wig and it's so weird.

I don't know we never realized found we didn't.

Want to dire hair blonde. I would imagine it's probably what it is, right.

Did the actors have dark hair that plays the mom?

No?

Or is it part of the storyline. We just don't know yet.

Like I believe at first it was part of the storyline why the mom wore the wig?

Okay, and then they cut it maybe yeah, because it was clearly a wig that was a real bad one that I don't notice any of that stuff that's so funny her Okay, but does Addison was hers you wear a wig the whole movie?

Yeah, that wasn't her hair.

It was it looked like she was wearing a wig in the beginning when they you know, they exposed the white.

But then like for lots of scenes, I'm like, no, that's there. She's not wearing a wig. There, that's her air.

So like the front part, like her bangs, all that was her hair, and then the rest.

Okay, big, Okay.

We watch movies very differently.

I thought her hair looked.

Attention to like everything, and I'm.

Like, I know, yeah, I'm the same same.

Oh yeah, okay, So you've got tons of dancers there, you've got massive choreography. You've got these huge elaborate sets you've rehearsed. Now now you're shooting. Is the shooting going smoothly?

Is it?

Is it a difficult shoot? I mean, what was it like to actually make the first film?

It okay, it was fun.

There were a lot of brutal times, just because very long, especially when we did switch directors because we were behind schedule. So it's kind of like, is this movie gonna get done? I don't know, come out good?

I don't know.

You're all very unsure. Although we were having so much fun and we really loved what we were doing.

I feel like.

We could I could speak for kind of everyone, whereas we were very unsure of like what the outcome's gonna be.

Well, and I'm sure not a lot was being explained to you either, Like you just knew that you were you were supposed to go home last week and you're still here and there's like three fourths of the movie still like you don't really know why, but that's what's happened, and like.

That's so like we thankfully we did finish in time, but thanks to Paul. Paul's very like we'll get things done when it needs to get done. So he was very quick, quick quick. Sometimes, like I would get like three takes in, he's like, all right, cut good, got chick to get moving on.

I was like, wait, no, I think you better.

He did that to me too. He did that to me too. He'd be like, no, that was brilliant. It was brilliant. I'm like, no, I think I need to and he's like no, no, no, we're good. We're good. And I'm like, this guy's gonna make me look like garbage.

I would joke with him after said you know going, are you really just gonna And he's like, you don't understand, you don't need it as many times as you think you get in your head.

Just we get it done. It's good.

I'm like all right, yeah, like it was. There were a lot of hard times, and there were a lot of I don't remember if the first one had a lot of night shoots, but I know the second one had a lot of night shoots.

Nights are brutal, so we.

Were serious at that point.

Everything's just funny and you're trying hard not to laugh during the middle of scenes.

And are the worst because they are adjictive.

Yes, they are so bad.

And like they spread irritated.

Paul's like, guys, come on, I'm like, I'm.

But it's four o'clock in the morning and we're dressed like zombies. Give me a break.

Oh man, good.

It came out really well. So like we were all like when we saw it for the.

First time, We're like like, oh, like we did good.

Guys, Yeah, how was that. Did they bring you in to come see it together or or what.

So we got to have like our pre screening with just the cast, and we basically like we were trying to be quiet to like actually watch it, but we were so excited as we talked through the entire thing, just like oh my gosh, Like during this take, like we thought like we did a horrible job, but it looks good, and we were just really excited. Like I don't think we could really contain our excitement because we were just like, in all honesty, in my head, I was like, this is not going to go well.

Oh wow, gosh, Like, oh, that's a lot of anxiety to have.

I'm actually I have.

I'm a very anxious person as a I was like out the entire time, So when I finally got to see it, I could like finally breathe, and afterwards I was like, oh wait, other people are going to see this, and then the anxiety returned.

So, now did you know before you were shooting the movie that it was base Stun a pilot that didn't go.

No.

So I found that out, like through my own research. I was like, what, I watched the pilot. I was like, how did they take this and then turn it into this?

So you got to see the pilot?

I found it on YouTube.

Oh for that.

I was like, I need to find this. Yes, I got to see like the whole concept of it. I was like interesting.

I was like, so is it anything like the movie? I mean from what there's zero people from the cast on it.

You know, it didn't seem other than the fact that it was like a football star who was turned like a zombie, right, Like.

Wow, but yeah that's wild.

So the movie's done. You've now seen it. You know that you other people have to see it.

Yeah? How fast were.

You able to realize that you had a hit on your hands and that you you had.

Something here.

Along? It took us a long time.

Really, Yeah, we didn't even know what the first one had like was doing. Really because as far as we saw, Like none of us watched Disney Channel anymore, so like we didn't know if they were like really promoting it like that or anything.

So we had no idea.

And then when they told us we're doing a second one, we're like really like, oh, like wow, okay, so I'm assuming the first one did well, but we had no idea. And then I feel like it wasn't until we were told a third one was gonna happen that we were.

Like, oh, oh, okay, wow, I mean it was that first weekend was like ten million people that watched it, and you guys said, no, what no one called you to tell you that?

Nothing For me, I don't remember.

And wow, personally interesting because I feel like when we talked, like with like high school musical, like it just like exploded so quickly, and you guys must it must have been more of like a like a slow burn. You guys were like just building and building. But for them to do a second one has to tell you that they believed in the project and like cause they weren't sure.

When we signed the contract, we signed for a second but we were like, well that's just in case, you know whatever. But we didn't like sure, and so when we found out there was gonna be a second one, we're all very excited obviously, Like personally for me, like when I do a project, I after it's done, I like for my own, like the next yeah, I can't look at it.

I can't. I just can't.

And so for me, I was like, oh, so it's been good, awesome, yay, Like I can't read too into it because then I just get very anxious and then like I yeah, I just can't. And then I want to say. It wasn't until we got Dolls that that I think was.

Like the moment.

Wow, yeah, shut up, Like.

Well did you notice, I mean, were you getting recognized more and more when you were when you were going out after the film came out. I mean, we're fans coming up to you and saying, oh my god, I love you.

Really Yeah, no, And I mean in the movie, like, I don't really look like myself, so that's like, you know, but no, And maybe I don't go out really anyway.

That's so you're not.

Kidding unless there's unless fans are in your own home, you're not going to be recognized there you go.

Even if I go out, no, not like at all.

So unless anyone's.

Old it, come up to me and tell me exactly what the movie's doing and how it's relating to kids, and like I would have never known.

Wow, man, that's so funny.

Okay, So, but are you is your daughter a fan? Is she watching the cartoon one at least?

I mean, is she okay? All right?

Obsessed with the animated like obsessed?

Wow?

What they have on Disney plus Now About seven times through the first time around, I was like, okay, I got to watch it. I'm so excited. And you know, then the second time she's like again, I was like okay, and I was like, okay, like.

Zombies, I'm like, okay, let's put it on. She's like, that's you probably, I'm like it is.

I love that. That's so cool.

They asked you to do a voice on the animated series yeah, okay, good.

No, Yeah, so I get to play I play myself again.

We are playing yourself? Okay, see we haven't. I haven't watched the animated series. I only watched the movie. So there you're doing the animated series as well.

Good.

That's wonderful.

Yeah, thank you. That's been a goal of mine. I've always wanted to be a cartoon since I was little.

So like, it's the best.

I would die to have that. I would die to do an animated series, I really would. It would be so incredible.

Oh so much fun.

Yeah, you're like talking to the king of the voiceovers here. I mean he's got his resume is like just like pages and pages long of.

His favorite thing ever. So it's the best. Okay.

So apparently there was an announcement at D twenty three, yes, that there is a tour that's going to be happening with people from The Descendants and people from Zombies.

Are you going on tour?

And we break news right now? Are you going on tour?

I'm not going on tour.

Oh, Kylie, I haven't heard anything, so I don't believe I am.

Do you know anybody who is.

I'm pretty sure Freya is Okay, Yeah, I'm pretty sure she is. Yes, as far as any I have no idea, but there's still a.

Chance you're going to go on tour.

Oh did you want to go on tour if you could?

No, that's a lot when you have kids, it's like a total different situation.

But it would be a lot, and.

It would be You'd love it. You'd love it, I'll tell you now. Seeing fans know all your songs, like many.

Songs where I could like confidently be like, yeah, guys, I'm on tour. Here we go.

You know what I mean?

Like I feel like I like jump in on stage for a couple and then like leave.

That kind of sounds like the best of both worlds.

Hang on on your bus for a while, come on for a couple of minutes, and then chill.

It'd be good. That would be amazing. I mean it is something.

The energy that a crowd, especially a Disney fan Phil Croud brings is unreal.

I definitely love watch.

Yeah, that's them knowing the words you've seen how crazy like the moms and dads are are fans because they have also seen the movies seven thousand times as you know, you know, it's like it's would be incredible. I if you could get on that tour, I think you'd have a blast. But I do see how that would be kind of complicated because touring with children seems like it'd be really hard. But there are tons of artists that do it, So there's a will, there's a way.

You have said when you came on, you said that you were obviously you watched Sabrina and myself, so you grew up as as a fan of Disney and a lot of the stuff we did.

What was your zombies growing up? What did you watch over and over again? Yeah?

What was your decon?

Wanted to make sure that you saw it and you just had it on a loop?

What would your mom say? Probably like what would your parents say? Or whoever watched you? It was like, oh gosh, if this girl watches this movie one more freaking time, I might it might just be the end of me.

I don't know, because I feel like I was just constantly watching Disney Channel, so I was this whatever came on, came on, God it Cheetah girls watched all the time, knew all the songs, so like I was always I have to there, So like.

We all okay, which chetah girl were you?

Who were you?

How to take turns? Being everyone?

Oh?

Got it, that's a fair way.

We're doing that because like with my oldest sister, she always had to be Beyonce with Destiny's Child.

So like with girls, were like, you have to take turns.

Yeah, that's fair. They can't always be Beyonce's.

As far as like animation goes, I was definitely a cartoon kid. So my cartoons were my thing that I watched all what.

Did you watch? What were your cartoons?

Obviously impossible.

That's why hire wraps like sing it in my head, okay, but freaking thing? Yeah, exactly, well, and like I know it's I watched a lot of Cartoon Network, so Grim Adventures of BILLI and Mandy Nickelodey as well Invader Zim.

Yeah, Zim was like my shape, my personality for sure.

That's wowd No, it's great. Are you kidding?

But like I don't know.

If I had like a show that I had on repeat that my mom was like, okay, turn it.

Off right, Yeah, okay, Yeah, you're diplomatic.

You gave everyone equal amounted to opportunity to view on your screen.

That's wonderful. I love it.

Okay, so with your cast, because we I definitely obviously want to talk about the cast.

Is there a zombie group chat? Do you guys still.

The chat question? The chat?

Is there a chat? Do you guys kind of keeping in touch constantly?

As far as like keeping in touch constantly. I feel like after the first one did really well at keeping in touch. But as we got older, everyone's like lives like kids, you know, it gets a little harder to keep in touch. But there is still a group chat. There's still a chat from like the first film with like everyone from the first one. And then we made a group chat for the fourth film and Milo called it New Zealand because we filmed it in New Zealand.

Oh okay, the fourth one, Okay, okay.

Yeah, So we all do our best to check in here and there.

I'm also just like really really bad at reaching out, so I will I am absolute crap. But the one who was like really really good at checking in and making sure, like is Meg.

Meg is like is the glue with all.

Yeah, for sure we're going to be I think we're actually going to be talking to meg Ah yeah as well, And I think Trevor too.

Trevor is hilarious, Like he's a blast.

Okay, so other than Eliza.

Yes, if you had one character from Zombies to spin off into their own franchise, who would it be and what would the story be?

Oh, Bucky Trevor's character.

Yes, great, will love.

It because I hated him. He was so good.

He was He's like that one like normally, like when there's like the mean character, everyone was like nah, But there's just something about Bucky that you can't help but love.

And he's just funny and like we talk about it on our episode, he's not an evil person.

He's just full of himself. He just ego just can't be contained in one room.

Not evil, ego can be different.

Yeah, he's just funny. Like everyone's kind of met someone like that.

I feel like too, like we're just like, take it down five notches, calm down, spin off.

Yes, he would be a wonderful or something.

Oh god. Yes.

And he has his own clothing line and.

It's a cheer line.

I love that so much.

So you brought it up Zombies four. It's called Dawn of the Vampires. And how excited are you for this one?

Is?

This? Is this?

Like you got to kind of rate them, right, Well, I mean.

If you're in New Zealand, man, you're like shooting Lord of the Rings. Now, yes, you did go on.

A tour for the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit.

Town. Yes, O so fun and I'm so jealous.

So after I went, I was like, maybe I should see it.

Yes, and now you've watched it several times and you like it, right, I.

Still only one answer?

Oh no, no, I promise you I'm gonna watch it because walking through the whole town, I was like, this is amazing, and like seeing how they filmed everything, I was it was really really cool.

Cool, So I can join the excitement with everyone.

I watched all three of them again a week ago, like literally a week ago. There's so it's it's changed filmmaking, it really did.

You're gonna oh, you're gonna love it. You're gonna love it.

Wait, so would this be your favorite one so far? Then Zombie four?

That's hard because like they're all really really different as far as experiences go. So like obviously being able to go to New Zealand was out of this world, like yeah, so much fun.

And a short flight like when I flew there.

I flew alone.

I was there alone for like the first two weeks, and then my husband and daughter came out and then we all flew back together.

And like, she does really well on flights, but it was long.

No, forget adults can barely do that flight. Forget a child. I mean it's crazy.

Live.

Yeah.

As soon as I got on the flight, they like champagne.

I was like, yes, thank you, I had red wine and then I had a hot chocolate.

When I say, I knocked out right away and just kind of slept the entire time. That's what I did.

Oh wow.

I was like, I need to be out.

That is the problem with that flight though, or the flight to Australia.

It's like you get knocked out, you wake up, You're like, I just slept for nine hours.

How do I still have fourteen hours left on this flight?

Seriously? Oh my gosh.

H do you still get carted every time you ask for alcohol?

That's all that went through my head is when you said you had champagne wine and the flight.

I normally do yes, but they're like, here you go.

I was like, all right, nice, oh man, that is so funny. Okay, so we have only seen the first one. Yeah, but we came up with with with kind of a theory about because first we started with the idea that it was a pilot that was called Zombies and Cheerleaders, and then so we got into a whole conversation about is that actually a better title, and then we realized that the z that the zombies, it's broken up like z dash oh dash. And then we had a theory

Yes, did we get it right? Yes?

Yeah?

Okay, perfect, It's like, are good at this?

You said that that. I was like, oh yeah, yeah, that.

Was I think Ryder Strong is the one who came up with that, is like, oh, of course, of course that's what.

Yeah, it's a cheer we're cheering zombies.

Thank god, that's not how you have to say it all the time though, when we're watching z oh thank god.

We could just call it zombies. That would be so crazy.

Oh man.

Okay, So last question, and it's an important one and when we ask everybody, and by that I mean we've done it twice now because we should have been asking everybody, but have completely forgotten to do it. What is your and you don't have to say anything that we did. What is your favorite dcom of all time? And you can't pick your own?

I own?

You mean, of course you would pick Zombies. Of course you would.

Yeah, wooh, okay, it's between the Color of Friendship.

Yes, it's one of our favorites too, and.

Oh god, there's so many. I think I'll have to go with the Color of Friendship because there's pinus.

On and I love and answer Xenon's great.

Xenona for the Color of Friendship was just not only was it educational and like very like like it it's huge.

Yeah, it's huge.

It was like boundary breaking and the actresses in it are incredible.

I might have given that a ten. Did I give that a ten?

I know I did.

Yeah, it was.

We rate every one of the movies, and I think I've only given one ten. It was for the Color Friendship.

It's so good.

By the way, Zombies got a nine point five. But Color Friendship when we learned about the story and about how in real life they think that the girl was killed when she went back to South Africa, Yeah, because she became a fighter against apartheid and then she disappeared. So yeah, I mean that rocked us.

That whole story rocks.

Such a good message, and it's like a perfect example of how the channel just knows how to handle things in such a great way that everyone can really grab.

They didn't at first. They had to fight to get it on. Remember, had to fight to get the movie on. They didn't want it at first. Nobody wanted this movie. Yeah, And so they finally got it on the air and it became what it was. I think it was your first Emmy winner, wasn't it.

Yes, yeah, one an Emmy and it was just so good, so crazy.

It's a great answer I guess the like what it's all about, Like it can be very heavy, but I felt like they did a really good job at making it digestible for like kids. Yes, I was able to like watch it understand all of it, and I was like, Wow, this best movie ever. Like I can't wait until Grayson's old enough I can be like, all right, sit down and watch this.

Yes, absolutely absolutely.

How old is Grayson now?

She just turned three?

She just turned three, Okay, and so we must be big into the Disney Channel stuff.

Then huge everything Disney loves Disney princesses. I've seen Frozen fifty times one. I know all the songs, I'm sure, so like every five she was like, all right, I'm Elsa, your Anna.

I'm like okay. I was like, so, will I ever get to be Elsa?

Or She's like.

No, no, no, I'm Beyonce. You're the rest of the day.

She's on, I'm Hans.

Oh that's awesome, man, Well, thank you so much for dress much. Is there any chance we could rope you into coming back when we do the next one?

Absolutely?

Okay, good?

So much fun?

Please? Okay good?

And we might have to do at some point we might have to do a rewatch of the animated series too, so we might have to back in.

I'm excited for those.

I actually that's what I clicked on first when I when I searched zombies, that came up first, so I clicked on it and started I'm like.

Wait a minute, no, no, no.

No, this is right.

Yeah, but it does look so cute, and I'm Monroe. My daughter watched zombies with with me on this one. She tries to watch a bunch of them, but she usually kind of gets distracted and not geam. The rest of it. She watched pretty much the entire one, so I think she'll really love the cartoon. So I can't wait to have her check that out.

Oh yay, thank you so much for joining.

Us, Thank you, thank you.

You've been awesome, and yes we are roping you in because when we haven't done any sequels yet, no, only done the first of it, like I had just seen High School Musical for my first time, camp Rock the first one teen like teen Beach Movie, and we've.

Done them all, just number one. So when we get to the sequels, we.

Want to bring everybody back because I can't wait to see the next one.

Seez I'm I'm there or.

Sounds good. And hopefully we'll be in the booth together someday doing a cartoon.

Please yeah, h pray, like that would be the best experience ever, Like, yeah, that would.

Be so much, so much fun.

Well, thank you so much for joining us, and we can't wait to see you for the second one.

And we're calling you again. Thank you, thank you you man. She is so sweet, she is so cute.

Oh my god, the fact that she would I never would have guessed if somebody said to me, who was kind of the mama bear and the older one.

As you're shooting. I never would have cassed her.

Literally, I would have thought the oldest she was right now was like eighteen nineteen right.

Now, yes, like what I was four when I shot Sawbie.

When she came on the screen, I was like, oh, okay, yeah, she's still little.

How quickly have they done four movies?

Like?

Would did they just.

Walk back to back to back to back to do math? Which I don't do well?

But she said they shot the first one in twenty seventeen and she was twenty. Yeah, so crazy that many plus this, she's this many, she's a lot, She's this many.

Now, so fun. I'm interested to see.

I really can't wait till we start doing sequels because it's like I can't either, especially one like this.

When do we It's interesting that they did sign a contract. Now they learned this from High School Musical. They did sign a contract for two justin cases. I don't believe they thought they were going to do it second one. Here's the first one. Here's the thing that amazes me. Their biggest franchises are Cheetah Girls. Okay, did more than two movies. High School Musical did more than two movies. Now zombies doing more than two movies Descendants do? How

Right?

Well, the way they did the Cheetah Girls, I don't even Halloween Town was the only one that I knew was like multiple because the Cheetah Girls, we never ever thought a second one was going to do because the channel didn't do second ones. They didn't done yeah, you know what I mean. So still the second one and the third one was not something that we thought would really actually end up happening.

But do you figure everyone knows that now you sign a nineteen picture deal like we got your Jill, you're sixty.

Especially when they've got kids like this cast who didn't have They weren't signing Miley cyrus onto.

You know what I know, they were sign them up.

Yeah, yeah, no, it's crazy.

I think we cannot forget when we do the sequel that TV's depaying Danielle Fisher will be joining us, because it was when I say when I'm I'm not lying to you when I say, oh yeah, we're doing uh you know, magical reline. We're going to be doing a bunch of Sabrina and I are going to be doing d coms. It was like they both went, I call zombies. I call zombies.

Like it was like right after each other. So Daniel behind okay.

When I when I was, when I was on for just doing a promo for us, Yeah, and you brought it up. They both their energy about this zombies movie got me excited to watch it.

For me too. It's how I first heard about it. I was like, oh, okay, I can't wait.

And it did not disappoint. The movie was awesome.

And we've got to figure out when we're going to do sequels and in what order. My guess is we should do the sequels in the order that we watched the originals, so she the second Cheeah Girls would be first. Yeah, my date with President's tatter too. This time it's personal. We never did it, but that's what we're gonna do. Way we got Halloween Town and Xenon had sequels before the Okay.

See that's oh, I forgot about Xenon. I don't know I why that always slips my mind, but yeah, but it wasn't like a normal thing.

Now, I feel like if I were to do a first movie on the channel.

Now, I would be going, there's a good chance, if this does well, we'll do a second one, especially.

Because they're doing these giant tent pole things where they're doing, you know, forty million dollar movies, Whereas before it was like, yeah, we're gonna do three million dollars. Here, go make your movie, and then it's like, oh wait, it became big, we'll do a second one. Now they're starting with descendants essentially knowing they're gonna franchise these things as they do them.

Yeah.

Absolutely, And I mean it's gonna be interesting to see these tours coming back because when we were doing the Cheetah Girls and High School Musical that and Hannah Montana had a tour, there was a lot of Disney tours circling right and we went you know, we went out three times. Then it kind of just went away, like the touring stop and no one was really doing tours anymore. So I'm thinking now that at d twenty three they did it, I'm like, are you going to start doing that again?

Oh man, I'm going to be front and center at the Cheetah Girls tour if that happens again.

You're taking me how I.

Would literally die to go back on tour. It was the time of my life. I loved touring. I figured out a way to do it. I would I had huge bags under the bus, but I would have a carry on that I'd bring on the bus so I didn't have to get under the bus to like get my clothes out every day. Like you just you know, figured it out. I had a chandelier in my bunk. I got a chandelier from Darget. Like it's like, oh my.

Gosh, Monroe. Actually, I'll have to take a picture and send it to you.

I had this tour blanket that I got, which was a princess blanket that had.

A crown that you could wear.

Yes, and Monroe just recently I pulled it out from the closet to give her one day and now she loves that thing. She's walking around with it on her head all the time. And that's how I was around the Arena's.

Well, it's going to get very very awkward when I finally meet her, because when I see it, I'm.

Stealing itho oh man, She's not gonna like me right off the bat, But it is what it is.

Well, thank you everybody so much for joining us, and thank you Kylie Russell for coming out because that was incredibly cool. I cannot wait to get into the sequels and to talk to everybody else. I think we are going to be talking to Meg and.

I know this is awesome.

We're getting we are not done with Zobies yet, and I'm so excited because, uh yeah, that's this is very cool.

There is a big one.

Any of them know why they switch directors halfway through?

Will have to We've got to get down to the bottom of that.

There's a story.

Get you know who will tell us. Probably is all we got to get Paul on the director.

Call Paul. Everybody call better, better.

Call Paul better.

Love it Paul, and I have to ask this one question before we get off. Did you ever think you would be giving a nine point five rating to a musical, a D com musical.

No, I did, and I didn't even and it was just I never thought we were going to get it out. I enjoyed everything about it. I really enjoyed everything about it. I thought Kylie obviously was phenomenal. Meg was phenomenal. The whole cast, I mean, everybody, if you had one line the little girl, we didn't talk about the little sister.

Who was also great.

Everybody was great, but milo you just when a star comes on the screen, you go star.

I mean it was you couldn't not watch him. He was so talented.

And to know that this is the second thing he ever did except for a Ghost Whisper episode nine years earlier. There are some people that are born to do this. He's that guy, and it just he brings you right into the film.

So I loved it. I can't wait to see the next one. It's gonna be fun.

Ryder really set us up to where they're not as good, but I don't know if Kyley agrees with that, so we'll have to see. And again, we all know that Ryder strong hates everything, so we'll see what's up. But thank you everybody so much for joining us. Join us next time. As our movie that we're gonna watch is The Ghost of Bucksley Hall, And I'm gonna wait to tell you anything about this movie because I don't know anything.

I liked the picture.

It was shiny, and so I read why Don't need that one? I wanted to do an older one that nobody has seen, but we're gonna do.

The Ghost of I hate it, I'm coming for you. Well.

By the way, if it's awesome, I'm a genius. If it's awful, this was all Sabrina's I do. So thank you everybody out there, and don't forget. You can follow us and d m us on the Instagram Machine at the Magical rewind Pod and we'll see you at the Ghost of Buxley Hall.

Bye bye,