Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly (ABC’s American Housewife), stars of the Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES, will present the debut of a ZOMBIES-themed, action-packed cheerleading routine choreographed by Varsity Spirit and performed by a nationally-ranked cheer squad tonight on Disney Channel. Manheim and Donnelly will also launch Disney Channel’s ZOMBIES Spirit Challenge inviting kids and tweens nationwide to show their zombie spirit for a chance to win a ZOMBIES screening party with a Disney Channel star or have their photo featured during the movie’s premiere telecast on Friday, February 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST on Disney Channel.
Performing to the high-energy dance single “BAMM” from the movie’s soundtrack, Florida’s Bartow High School Varsity Coed Cheer squad (Champions of the 2016 Varsity Spirit Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championship) execute an elite cheerleading routine, introduced by Manheim and Donnelly. A behind-the-scenes sneak peek and full-length version of the performance at the grand opening of The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, will be available in the DisneyNOW app and on Disney Channel YouTube beginning Thursday, February 1. The performance will also be featured in various telecasts of the 2018 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships, which the Bartow Coed Cheer squad will compete in, on ESPNU, ESPN2 and Varsity.TV; and in encore telecasts of the 2017 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships on EPSNU.
The ZOMBIES Spirit Challenge will take place Friday, January 26 through Tuesday, February 6, allowing kids and tweens nationwide to dive into the movie’s unique take on zombies – where they are the heroes in a world filled with cheerleading, football, dance and music. Participants are invited to get creative and express their unique spirit by participating in ZOMBIES-themed photo challenges including best green ZOMBIES hair, outfit, nail art, cheer pose, zombie ‘draggy leg’ pose, zombie slime photos, or a photo of them eating something green. Submission details and more information will be available at disney.com/zombiesspiritchallenge.
Disney’s ZOMBIES is a music- and dance-filled story set in the fictitious world of Seabrook, a cookie-cutter community brimming with perky conformity 50 years after a zombie apocalypse. Today, the zombies pose no threat, but are required to live in Zombietown, an isolated, rundown community infused with their unique creative spirit. When zombies are finally allowed to enroll in Seabrook High School, the charming, charismatic zombie Zed, who is determined to play football, meets freshman Addison who dreams of being a cheerleader – the ultimate form of status in Seabrook. Addison takes a lot of flak for befriending Zed and his zombie friends, but comes to learn that zombies and cheerleaders aren’t so different after all. Zed and Addison work together to show Seabrook what they can achieve when they embrace their differences and celebrate what makes them a community.