Witch Mountain (franchise)

The Walt Disney Company's Witch Mountain franchise, is based on the 1968 science fiction novel written by Alexander Key. The events of the story follow two teenage orphans named Tony and Tia, who have paranormal abilities. The pair, who have little recollection of their past, are placed into a juvenile detention home by social services. After being released to a man self-described to be their "uncle", they discover his nefarious plans in using them for personal gain. Over the events of the book, the two remember their true nature as extraterrestrial life who came to Earth, when their home-planet was being destroyed. The duo escape with the remainder of their people, who call themselves "Castaways".

A sequel novel titled Return from Witch Mountain was released in 1978 by the Walt Disney Studios, to coincide with the release of their feature film of the same title. Key penned the novelization, based on the screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein. It was originally published in 1978 by the Westminster Press in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Walt Disney Company release a feature film adaptation in 1975, which was mostly faithful to the source material. The film was one of the studio's most successful live-action films at that time.[4] Following the positive response to the film, the franchise continued with later installments.

Two teenage orphaned siblings, Tony and Tia Malone, secret possess psychic powers. When those abilities attract attention from a villainous billionaire named Aristotle Bolt, the pair find themselves on the run. Bolt kidnaps them with plans to exploit their powers for his personal financial gain. Tony and Tia escape his containment, and with the help of a bitter widower named Jason O'Day they avoid Bolt's nefarious plans, and discover their other worldly origins.[5]

After previously escaping the greedy and scheming humans of Earth, Tony and Tia return for a vacation. While on their Earth-bound getaway, the pair attract the attention of another treacherous man. Doctor Gannon, and his henchwoman named Letha, see the pair's abilities as an avenue in attaining riches. The villainous duo kidnap Tony, and use his power to sway Tina. She follows and pursues them, with a plan to free her brother.[6]

Though often referred to as a remake or reboot, the film was a legacy sequel.[7][8]

A pair of extraterrestrial teenagers named Sara and Seth who have paranormal abilities, who are in search of a way back to their home-planet, drag a Las Vegas taxi driver named Jack Bruno into their adventures. Before an invasion from other worlds comes to Earth, the teens must find the location of their spaceship which is buried within Witch Mountain. Bruno finds himself aiding the youth, while evading government operatives and an alien bounty hunter/assassin, who are fast on their trail.[9]

During the early-'80s, a third film in the originally trilogy was release exclusively through television broadcast. The Walt Disney Company continued this trend through the remainder of the '80s and early-'90s, with a number of made-for-television remake films of classic Walt Disney Productions.[10] Produced and released as a part of The Magical World of Disney series, among them, was a television remake of Escape to Witch Mountain.[11][12]

When reports of a boy's inexplicable abilities arise, Tony and Tia return to Earth. Knowing that the young boy must be from their world, the pair are sent to find the child. In their task, they are joined by Jason O'Day, their old friend. Together they race to find the boy, before a familiar nemesis (Aristotle Bolt) does.[13]

Marketed as a remake of the original 1974 film, the story shares commonalities with the previous adaptation.

A pair of twin humanoid-alien babies are found near a mysterious mountain. Unintentionally separated, they grow in age unknowingly within the same town. Without knowledge of the other's existence, the pair eventually meet and learn that they both possess supernatural abilities. Upon discovering each other, a questionable local businessman decides to use the teenagers powers to make himself rich. On the run from these nefarious plans and with the support of other-worldly alliances, only the strange place known as Witch Mountain can save them.[14][15]