Disney's New Fantasy Horror Series Earns Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

Published Oct 10, 2026, 8:42 AM EDT Abigail is an editor for ScreenRant, currently writing and editing movie news. You may also have seen her thoughts on animated television, musical theater, and fantasy literature in Paste Magazine, Fantasy Hive, or The Oxford Blue. She has also written SR lists and op-eds covering movies, TV, and books as well. She is an English major through and through, having graduated with a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara and an MPhil from Oxford University. Audiences are loving Disney's latest addition to its streaming library. Coven Academy premiered on Freeform on October 1, with the full season dropping on streaming the next day. Starring Malina Pauli Weissman, Jordan Leftwich, and Ora Duplass, the fantasy horror series follows three teenage witches at an elite magical boarding school in New Orleans. Topping the streaming charts, Coven Academy has instantly become an audience and critical hit. At the time of writing, Coven Academy season 1 has a Popcornmeter of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes from audience ratings, in addition to its 100% Tomatometer from eight critical reviews. Having been compared to Wednesday, The Vampire Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Once Upon a Time, Coven Academy has a built-in audience searching for a fun new fantasy adventure. Coven Academy's focus is on Briar (Weissman), Tegan (Duplass), and Sasha (Leftwich), who are supposed to form a coven despite initial reservations, but become a beautiful trio. Meanwhile, Briar is caught up in a love triangle between Jake (Malachi Barton) and Ollie (Louis Thresher). Coven Academy also stars Tiffani Thiessen (90210) and Devon Sawa (Hacks). It may have appeared to be more cheap streaming fare, but Coven Academy has achieved success by leaning into the strengths of these contemporary TV shows. Rianna de Bono-Smither's review of Coven Academy for ScreenRant is aptly titled: "The Craft Goes Full Disney In This Cheesy, Endearing & Surprisingly Charming Drama." She goes on to say: The friendship and sisterhood between Briar, Sasha, and Tegan is the real heart of Disney's series, portraying a flawed and messy friendship while highlighting how, despite their differences, they will always show up for one another. [...] Despite its obvious flaws and reliance on familiar clichés the fast-paced chapters are refreshing, making Coven Academy season 1 incredibly easy to binge. It’s far from perfect or polished, yet there's something oddly charming about the series, even with its cheesy dialogue and the supernatural stereotypes scattered throughout. Also said in ScreenRant's review is that "the first season feels less like an ending and more like the beginning of something that could become even more magical." Certainly, if audience popularity keeps up, Disney will want to produce a second season. Thus, questions abound about a second season, and at least one of the stars would likely return. In an interview with Variety, Malina Pauli Weissman responded to the demand for Coven Academy season 2, saying: "I am so excited for a season 2. In every show, in season 1, you get to know the characters; you get to know the world; you get to know the baggage that everybody is carrying. In a season 2, you get to actually just live in it and see what happens." Hopefully, for fans, there will be more information on the sophomore installment soon. All episodes of Coven Academy are now available to stream on Disney+. Release Date October 1, 2026 Network Freeform Directors Tim Federle Cast Writers Tim Federle Creator(s) Tim Federle