Hannah Hunt

Published Jun 9, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Hannah has been writing about horror, sci-fi, and all things nerdy since 2021. At Collider, she covers news and conducts interviews, along with contributing features that dive deep into genre storytelling and why it works. If there’s something lurking in the shadows, she’s probably already writing about it if she’s not too busy watching a tape from her VHS collection.

As much as summer is usually associated with beach trips, vacations, and blockbuster movies, it has increasingly become a season for horror fans as well. Between summer camp slashers, creature features, and the growing popularity of “Summerween,” there is no shortage of spooky entertainment arriving long before Halloween. Animation has embraced that trend too, with more family-friendly series finding ways to blend supernatural thrills with comedy and coming-of-age storytelling.

That combination is exactly what makes a premise like Disney+‘s upcoming animated series The Doomies perfectly timed for the season. The upcoming animated series follows two ordinary teenagers whose lives are turned upside down after a single mistake unleashes something far bigger than they ever expected. What begins as a quiet life in a coastal town quickly spirals into a battle against monsters, mysteries, and plenty of chaos. The series comes from Academy Award-nominated studio Xilam Animation and Disney Television Animation, bringing together supernatural adventure, comedy, and a healthy dose of teenage awkwardness.

Your instincts, your strengths, and your particular way of thinking under pressure point to one villain you actually have a fighting chance against. Everyone else — good luck.

Jason is relentless, but he is also predictable — and that is the gap you would exploit.

Michael watches before he moves. He is patient, methodical, and almost impossible to detect — until it’s too late for anyone who isn’t paying close enough attention.

Freddy wins by getting inside your head — using your own fears, your own memories, your own subconscious as weapons against you. That strategy requires a target who can be destabilised.

Pennywise is ancient, shapeshifting, and feeds on terror — but it has one critical vulnerability: it cannot function against someone who genuinely stops being afraid of it.

Chucky’s greatest advantage is that nobody takes him seriously until it’s already too late. He exploits the gap between how something looks and what it actually is.

Disney+ has released the official trailer and key art for The Doomies, which is set to premiere later this month on June 26 on the streaming service. The launch will include all 22 half-hour episodes of the series, along with four companion short-form episodes titled “Doug Unfiltered,” “Ghosted By A Ghost,” “Creepy Crepe,” and “What Is That Thing?” According to the official synopsis, best friends Bobby and Romy accidentally open a portal to evil, transforming their tranquil coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. As they work to uncover the mystery behind the outbreak, the pair must confront both literal monsters and the personal challenges that come with growing up.

The series stars Max Mittelman as Bobby, Madison Calderon as Romy, Noel Gibson as Kim, Jon Bailey as Doug, and Zehra Fazal as Jenny. It was co-created by Andrès Fernandez, Pozla (Rémi Zaarour), and Henry Gifford, with Fernandez directing all 22 episodes. Xilam’s Marc du Pontavice serves as producer. The series is also receiving recognition on the festival circuit before its streaming debut. The Doomies has been selected to compete at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the TV Films category. Its episode “Night of the Fishing Dead” was chosen from more than 2,400 submissions and will screen during the festival’s June 21–27 event.

The Doomies premieres June 26 on Disney+.

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