Is Disney’s ‘Coven Academy’ Based On A Book?

Coven Academy (2026) is one of my most anticipated shows of the year. I was biased from the beginning because it comes from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019) creator Tim Federle. There are a few writers in the world of TV who I will follow anywhere. That hilarious and heartfelt show that felt like Glee (2009) in spirit at times and put a wonderful spin on the High School Musical (2006) movies, which I grew up on, made Federle one of those people for me. So, I’ve been following the news about Coven Academy for a while now—a little over a year, to be exact. 

This show, I believe, has the opportunity to fill a real void on TV. Younger audiences and fans of coming-of-age stories in general yearn for more supernatural teen dramas. These shows also have supernatural beings, magical world-building, and dynamic characters with captivating relationships. I hope that Coven Academy is the latest addition—in that it finds its audience and gets to run for many, many seasons. From what the series is based on to what it’s about, here’s everything you need to know about Coven Academy before it premieres in October.

‘Coven Academy’ Is Based on an Original Idea - Not a Book

In March 2025, Deadline exclusively reported that Coven Academy, from Federle, had received a pilot order as “a single-camera supernatural dramedy for Disney Channel and Disney+.” At that time, there were no mentions of the series being based on any IP, but there was also a very thin logline for the show: “a coven of teenage witches-in-training must protect their town from a looming threat.” Since then, the show and where it will air and stream have evolved.

By August 2025, Coven Academy had been picked up to series with a more developed description that looks a lot more like the one attached to the show today. It was also then that it became official—in clear print—that Coven Academy isn’t based on a book or any other IP. That choice breaks away from “the m.o. for Disney in the kids and family arena in recent years,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. That’s even evident in Disney+’s recent slate ahead of Coven Academy’s release. One of the show’s main cast members just starred in Camp Rock 3 (2026) for example. The last movie in that franchise was Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010). 

Federle knows about working with Disney’s IP because of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. It’s exciting for both him and the media giant that Coven Academy is an original idea—fresh storytelling amid legacy sequels and reboots/remakes. For example, in August, Federle told Teen Vogue, “[The pilot] was the easiest thing I’ve ever written since I started writing novels, maybe because there wasn’t [an existing] IP, so there wasn’t that expectation.”

When the show was ordered to series, Federle said, “I pitched Coven Academy as a love letter to the genre YA shows I grew up on. I’m thrilled to bring this original story to the screen with my longtime friends at Disney, led by Ayo Davis, and I can’t wait for the world to meet the incredible cast and crew who are conjuring our world into being.” I know I can feel the influence of the ‘90s and early 2000s in the teaser trailer alone. It’s a big part of Coven Academy’s appeal for me. 

Everything We Know About ‘Coven Academy’ So Far

Coven Academy is set “in the haunted heart of New Orleans,” following “three teenage witches and their dangerously charming warlock peers at an elite magic boarding school where power is currency, secrets are lethal and attraction is a liability. Caught between ancient supernatural wars and forbidden love interests, the coven must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their city—and themselves.” The teaser trailer introduces Malina Pauli Weissman as Briar, who is described as a fiercely independent New Yorker who discovers she's a witch. 

The main cast also includes Malachi Barton as a warlock named Jake, Jordan Leftwich as a witch named Sasha, Ora Duplass as a witch named Tegan, Louis Thresher as a vampire named Ollie, and Tiffani Thiessen as Miss Graves, the head of Coven Academy. Excitingly, Devon Sawa will appear as a special guest star, playing a warlock professor named Mr. Cole. The teaser trailer shows glimpses of each character, mainly focusing on Briar and Jake. The recurring cast includes Swayam Bhatia as McKenna, Brendon Tremblay as Alexander, Keegan Connor Tracy as Tamora, BJ Harrison as Agnes, and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre as Teese. 

The video also highlights that Coven Academy will no longer be airing on Disney Channel and Disney+, like it was meant to last year. Now, the show will air on Freeform—which I find surprising because the channel doesn’t really have original programming like it once did—and stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Not only that, but the show won’t have traditional episodes. Instead, it will exist in what the streamer calls “fast-paced chapters.”

Teen Vogue revealed that there are 21 of those, and the outlet clarified how those will roll out. Coven Academy premieres with the first nine of its chapters on Thursday, October 1 at 8/7c. Six more will air the following week, with the final six airing on October 8. Meanwhile, the entire season will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday, October 2. Maybe it’s because I grew up with weekly TV releases and I’m feeling nostalgic but I almost want to catch Coven Academy on Freeform to pace it out. How will you be watching?