Welcome to the monster-verse, Nova and Victor.

In Dawn of the Vampires, Zed and Addison (Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly) are thrilled to be on summer break, even if this year’s ‘break’ means working hard to leave their mark on college in the Fall. However, after an unexpected detour, Zed, Addison and monster pals, Eliza and Willa, find themselves in uncharted territory. Caught in the middle of a war between Daywalkers and Vampires, the team decides to stay and help the two sides work out their differences. But these two sides are ready to rumble and Zed and Addison know they’re in for a rough ride. Even so, there’s a strange connection between opposing sides as young Nova and Victor (Freya Skye and Malachi Barton) seem to have found a common ground that may help them come together to battle and even greater threat that endangers them all.

Now in its fourth film, the ZOMBIES franchise has only continued to grow in popularity over the years. And, as the franchise begins to pass the torch to the next generation, one has to wonder about how new cast members like Skye and Barton dealt with the pressure of taking on the show’s reins. Even so, Skye points out that fan support has been huge as they step into Disney’s beloved monster mash-up.

“I feel like the pressure was really high going into it,” Skye begins. “I feel like going into a franchise like this that’s so beloved and Milo and Meg just like the most incredible leads ever… was a big pressure and big shoes to fill. But I think even last year when we were filming in New Zealand, the fans were so welcoming to us as people, as Freya and Malachi. And I think now that more songs are coming out… I just feel so overwhelmed with just love on how welcoming all the fans are to Nova and Victor. It’s just an incredible opportunity and it’s just been so much fun.”

With this in mind, the relationship between old and new characters becomes essential to the next leg of the franchise. With Zed and Addison (Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly) returning to the series in a mentorship role, Skye and Barton have felt the importance of their support as they set out on their own journey.

“I feel like when it comes to Zed and Addison giving advice to Victor and Nova, I think that they’re similar,” Barton reflects. “Victor and Nova have been taught to dislike each other and that their two groups don’t belong together. But I feel like, in both of the backs of both of their minds, there’s this like little idea of like, what if they were to be together and all come together as one group. And I think that Zed and Addison came in and just give us the push that we needed to make the decision to like try and bring our two groups together. They give us the little bump and they give us advice because they’ve been through the same things that we had been through.”

“Oh yeah, I agree with everything you said. I think that, in real life and on screen, I feel like they guided us,” Skye says thankfully. “I feel like Zed and Addison guide Victor and Nova, giving them the push that they needed. And I also think Meg and Milo, who have done this before and were similar age to us, I think they guided us too. Because it’s really daunting joining such a beloved franchise like this. I think they were just so helpful and having them there was just like so reassuring and comforting.

“Fueling the ZOMBIES world has always been its electric dance numbers and fiery pop jams. But was learning choreography a challenge for the new blood? According to Skye, despite the large group dances, the most difficult numbers were the ones that she spent alone onscreen.

“I think there’s obviously the big dance numbers, which were hard with all the choreography and stuff,” she remembers. “That was a challenge. But genuinely, I would honestly say… the ones that I feel like I spent the most time thinking about how I wanted to deliver that. ’cause obviously I’m on my own and I’m kind of walking around. But it’s how to kind of convey the emotion and the kind of arc of the song and when you know she’s feeling it every point of the song. So that was something that I really was thinking a lot about and I think dream come true as well.”

In addition, something that feels more new to the world are the film’s increased number of ‘fight’ scenes. Not unlike dance numbers, onscreen fights also require incredible training for Skye and Barton. Even so, she points out that these moments proved to be a lot of fun to perform.

“It was so much fun getting through the stunts,” Skye remembers. “I knew that would be a big part of Nova going into it. We had a month of rehearsals before we started shooting and, that whole month, I would be doing a couple hours a day of like stunt training and I’d never really had any experience. So, it was a whole new thing. But it was so much fun. It was definitely hard work and I honestly feel like the biggest challenge was knowing when to duck because they’re throwing these punches. And I sometimes I’d forget and then luckily, they would stop right before my face. But you have to be so coordinated and choreographed with it. So that was a big thing that I learned my lesson early on.”

Though, what’s most important about this franchise is its message to younger viewers. In keeping with the rest of the series, Dawn of the Vampires also holds on to themes of coming together and valuing others, something that Barton believes is essential to the film’s success.

“Oh my gosh. I think it’s very important,” he beams. “I think that it’s a theme in the world that we live in today is the idea of separation and learning to come together and learn to love one another, no matter who they are. I think that this movie portrays it so well. It’s two different types of people coming together and unifying and learning to love one another. So, yeah, I’m very grateful and I feel like I speak for Freya as well. We’re both very grateful to be able to have the opportunity to teach this message on screen to younger audiences and audiences our age and up and everything.”

“Yeah, I think it’s a message that can mean a lot to a lot of people and I think, especially considering the demographic, I think it’s an incredible message to convey to young people too,” Skye continues. “It’s just really just an important message of equality and everything. So, yeah, it’s incredible and I think we just feel so grateful to be the ones to get to portray it.“

In order to pass that message on, Nova and Victor have to evolve over the course of the film. Facing pressure from both sides, the two characters must learn what it means to lead when everyone is looking to you to set the example. And, for Barton and Skye, that question of what it means to lead is an important one, for both themselves and their characters.

“I think that being a good leader means like not being afraid to say how you really feel and leading by example,” Barton ponders. “Don’t be hypocritical. You can’t teach one thing and then, in your own personal life, be doing a separate thing. So, I think that I feel like that’s a good theme of being a good leader.”

“1000%. I think being a leader is also being open,” echoes Skye. “Because I think that being a leader is leading a big group of people and everyone has different opinions and different hopes for what they want their people to do. So, I think being open to the ideas of everyone and I think speaking your truth as well. Not being afraid to just speak up for what you believe is right, I think is a big part. And I think Nova and Victor learn that a lot in the movie.”

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is available on Disney Channel on July 10th, and streams on Disney+ on Friday, July 11th, 2025.