It's Zed and Addison's final year at Seabrook and things are better than ever. The town has finally accepted monsters as a part of Seabrook and has become a safe haven for monsters and humans alike. Zed is on the cusp of receiving a football scholarship and becoming the first Zombie to ever attend college (and he's excited to join Addison who has already been admitted). Addison is excited to mark the opening of the town's brand new "cheer pavilion" by inviting cheer teams from all over the world to compete in an "international cheer-off." However, the town is shocked by the arrival of a new group of intergalactic outsiders - Aliens, who show up to compete in the cheer-off. Though they begrudgingly allow the Aliens to stay for the competition - the monsters and humans of Seabrook grow suspicious when they discover that the Aliens may be looking for more than a friendly competition.[3]
Plot
After the last cliff-hanger in Zombies 2, werewolves, humans, and zombies coexist. Addison has been accepted into Mountain College, and Zed is pursuing an athletic scholarship at Mountain College and is hoping to join Addison. The story begins at night, and there is a highly anticipated football game. If they win, Seabrook's going to have their first zombie/monster recruited, therefore bringing down a barrier for all other monsters. But, just as the team gets ready to leave, a UFO causes a slightly destructive energy surge, and the aliens invade. The aliens are here and, unbeknownst to the town, they are here to locate an interstellar map to Utopia, a perfect new home for their species. To cover up their real purpose, they claim to be here to compete in the National Cheer Off, which Addison previously had organized. While in interrogation at the Z-Patrol, A-Spen finds a loophole so Zed can get into college.
The werewolves are extremely distrustful of these intergalactic newcomers. The aliens settle into Seabrook temporarily. The aliens interrogate the werewolves and scan their minds with their Luma Lenses. Eliza, who is currently interning at Z-Corp, the maker of the Z-bands, helps Zed with his exceptional scholarship, which is what A-Spen had discovered earlier. The aliens beat Zed's records, both athletic and academic, and lower his chances of entering college. Zed, in return for the aliens altering his report card, helps the aliens identify the moonstone. A-Spen meet Addison, whom they reveal to that they are in love with Zed. At cheer practice, the cheer team is threatened after witnessing the aliens practice their cheer. Meanwhile, the aliens inspect the moonstone scanning it for coordinates. They learn that the moonstone interferes with their alien powers, and is therefore lethal to them. They take a risky move, as they are almost caught by the werewolves. They head home to their Mothership where Zed helps them with his knowledge of Seabrook, whereas Addison mistakenly is beamed up to the Mothership. A-Spen, A-Li and A-Lan reveal their true reasons for arriving in Seabrook. After fixing and watching the Scout's logs, they discover that the scout is none other than Addison's maternal grandmother Angie.
Zed is nervous for his home college interview, which is the last thing he needs to overcome before figuring out if he is accepted in Mountain College or not. Addison's alien powers cause him to "zombie out" during his interview and manages to say a few words to his interviewer before she leaves. Addison questions her identity as an alien, asking her mom about her grandma. As this goes on, the wolves and Bucky discover the real reason the aliens are in Seabrook, and in the process, Wyatt's crush on Eliza is revealed awkwardly. The trio of aliens suspect that the Seabrook Cup, which is the trophy Angie created, now awarded to the winning team of the Cheer Off, which is crafted with materials from their home world, is their map home. Addison discovers this same thing soon after, and realizes either the aliens win it or she does. The werewolves alert the Z-Patrol about the aliens' mission and Zed, being accepted into college realizes about the Z-Patrol coming to arrest the aliens, and races to stop them from competing in the competition. The extraterrestrial team is disqualified, leaving Addison being their only chance of making it to Utopia. The Seabrook Mighty Shrimp are victorious at the competition and win.
The werewolves crash into the cheer pavilion and spill the reality about their intergalactic invaders. The aliens, Addison and Zed escape before Addison reveals to the entire town community that she is in fact, part of the aliens. Missy admits that she always knew her mother was secretly alien and that her parents believed hiding was the best way to stay safe. Zed reveals his college news, and the aliens realize that the coordinates to Utopia lie not in the trophy, but within Addison's DNA, and unfortunately, their map is dynamic, meaning they must take Addison to their new home. Addison agrees to go, although she is conflicted in her decision, but must go to Utopia. Zed offers to go with her, but it is impossible, as he would be fried by their stardust energy within minutes.
The next morning, Addison prepares to leave with the aliens when her parents arrive. Missy reveals that her blonde hair is really a wig, and her natural hair is white just like Addison's and Angie's. Addison states her mom is beautiful, and Dell states he does not care what planet they're from; Missy and Addison are his family no matter what. The aliens' ship is critically damaged, so the werewolves offer their moonstone, and Eliza states that they could filter the moonstone's energy through their Z-bands. Zed risks it by interfering with the power of the aliens and the moonstone and nearly dies, but barely lives. As the others race to exit the ship before it releases into space, Addison and Zed share one last kiss before he is beamed back to Earth.
A few days later, in a world without Addison, Seabrook is broken-hearted and desolate. The group celebrates graduating high school as the aliens compute their coordinates. Addison shows the other aliens how they need conflict and harmony in order to evolve, showing them clips from the last movie on the mothership. After thinking it through, Addison realizes where her Grandma Angie wanted her species to reside. Realizing Utopia is planet Earth, the quartet pave their way back to Seabrook. Zed, Bree, Willa, Wynter, Wyatt, Bonzo, Bucky, and the Acey's celebrate Addison and the aliens' return and afterwards, the aliens fully move in to Seabrook, along with several other monsters and creatures, including Vampires and Mermaids making Seabrook the perfect haven for monsters.
In a mid-credits scene, Bucky is shown activating the Mothership for launch, as he jets off to outer space, aiming to "bring cheer to the farthest reaches of the galaxy".
The "What Is This Feeling" music video was shot in Los Angeles, California in September 2021.[6]
Casting
On May 20, 2022 alongside that announcement of the release date, it was announced that RuPaul Charles joined the cast as "the Mothership," which is "a comedically passive-aggressive UFO that brings the aliens to earth."[4]
Music
Score
The main music score was composed by George S. Clinton and Amit May Cohen. The television film's two main themes ("Last Year" and "Danger Ahead") were performed by Canadian-American-German rock band Abraham Lincoln. The band would later return to compose the score for its Animated Series.
The film's working title was Out of this World, referencing the alien characters.
This is the first Disney Channel Original Movie, as well the first movie in the Zombies franchise to be solely released on Disney+.
However, an encore presentation aired on August 12, 2022 on Disney Channel. The network version included bonus footage and a bonus musical number not featured in the streaming edition.
Kylee Russell, who plays Eliza, was pregnant while filming most of this movie. She gave birth on July 10, 2021 right before they were finished filming in late July 2021.
Due to this, her character is mostly always sitting (except for in the song Someday) and is now interning at Z-Corp.
