Few new Disney series have arrived with as much conversation surrounding them as Coven Academy. Before the supernatural teen drama even premiered this fall, it was already facing organized pushback from a parental advocacy group over its witchcraft themes. Now, just weeks after its debut, Disney has made it official: Coven Academy is coming back for Season 2.
The renewal comes after a strong first season on Freeform, Disney+, and Hulu, where the show quickly found an audience among teens and families alike. For fans who binged all 21 chapters and have been stuck on that Season 1 cliffhanger, the news is a big relief. For critics of the series, it’s a sign that Disney isn’t backing away from a show that has sparked debate over what kind of content belongs under the Disney name.
Whether you’re a fan counting down to Season 2 or a parent still deciding if the show is right for your household, here’s everything you need to know about Coven Academy, why it was renewed, and the controversy that has followed it since before its premiere.
Why Coven Academy Got a Second Season
The numbers made this an easy decision for Disney. According to the company, the first season of Coven Academy logged 20.3 million hours watched worldwide in its first three weeks on Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney also released the first chapter on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where it pulled in more than 30 million views.
Nielsen data showed Coven Academy was the most-watched streaming series among teens ages 12 to 17 during its premiere weekend, and it landed in the top five among all viewers when measured by views. The show also became a family watch. About half of viewers ages 12 to 17 and close to two-thirds of viewers ages 6 to 11 watched with an adult, as Variety first reported.
What Coven Academy Is About
Set in the haunted heart of New Orleans, Coven Academy follows three teenage witches and their dangerously charming warlock peers at an elite magic boarding school called Crescent Veil. In this world, power is currency, secrets can be deadly, and attraction is a liability. Caught between ancient supernatural wars and forbidden love, the coven must decide how far it will go to protect the city and itself.
The series is rated PG-V.
Meet the Cast
- Malina Pauli Weissman as Briar, a sharp New Yorker who learns she’s a witch
- Malachi Barton as Jake, a magnetic warlock with a dangerous edge
- Jordan Leftwich as Sasha, who can read minds
- Ora Duplass as Tegan, the time-bending wild card
- Louis Thresher as Ollie, a newly turned vampire
- Tiffani Thiessen as Miss Graves, the glamorous head of the school
- Devon Sawa as guest star Mr. Cole, a warlock professor
The Controversy Surrounding the Series
Coven Academy drew criticism before a single episode aired. In August, the parental advocacy group One Million Moms published an alert urging parents to avoid the series.
The group argued that Disney is pushing witchcraft on families, especially tweens and teens, and promoting what it described as secular worldviews to young viewers. Its alert called the show a teen soap opera and objected to elements of the trailer, including teen romance, witch sisterhood, and vampires.
The group’s position is explicitly religious. Its alert cited Bible passages it interprets as warning against witchcraft in all forms, and it asked supporters to sign a pledge not to support Disney or Coven Academy.
The Other Side of the Debate
Many fans and parents pushed back by pointing to Disney’s long history with witches and magic. Hocus Pocus has been a Halloween staple for decades. Wizards of Waverly Place ran for four seasons on Disney Channel and later got a sequel series. Bedknobs and Broomsticks was released in 1971, and The Sword in the Stone in 1963.
Supporters argue that these stories are understood as fantasy, much like a child watching a movie about dragons doesn’t believe dragons are real. Others noted that Coven Academy is clearly labeled and rated PG-V, so parents have the information they need before deciding whether to watch.
For many families, the response has landed somewhere in the middle: use your own judgment. Some households avoid supernatural content entirely, while others happily watch Hocus Pocus every October. Both are valid choices.
Why Disney Keeps Facing These Debates
Part of the reason Disney ends up in these conversations is its size. The company produces everything from preschool shows to adult dramas under one name. A supernatural teen drama on Freeform is aimed at a very different audience than a Disney Junior series, but both are seen as Disney.
Interestingly, Coven Academy was originally planned as the first young adult series on Disney Channel before it moved to Freeform and streaming. Freeform has always programmed for an older audience, which makes the show’s current home a better fit.
What We Know About Season 2
Creator Tim Federle, known for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, returns as executive producer. He’s joined by Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Amanda Row, and Bronwyn North-Reist. The series comes from Federle’s Chorus Boy Productions in association with Disney Kids and Family.
Disney hasn’t announced a premiere date or episode count yet. Federle has hinted that the mother-daughter story at the center of Season 1 is far from over. Without spoiling anything, the Season 1 finale left plenty of open questions about family secrets, shifting loyalties, and a growing darkness over Crescent Veil.
Where to Watch Season 1
All 21 chapters of Coven Academy Season 1 are streaming now on Disney+, Hulu, and Freeform On Demand. The chapters are short, but the full season runs more than five hours, making it an easy Halloween week binge.
Whether Coven Academy makes your watch list is a personal decision. But with Season 2 officially on the way, it’s clear Disney believes the coven’s story is far from finished.
