- On The Red Carpet
Malachi Barton, Malina Pauli Weissman dish on ‘Coven Academy’s’ juicy love triangle
Malachi Barton and Malina Pauli Weissman step into the supernatural world of “Coven Academy” in Disney’s new young adult series.
Welcome to the coven, witches. 🕯️ Malachi Barton and Malina Pauli Weissman open up about their “Coven Academy” characters and the juicy love triangle brewing. It premieres Oct. 1 on Freeform and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
ByAmy Becker
Thursday, October 1, 2026 1:00PM
LOS ANGELES –Disney is leaning into the Halloween fun with its newest series “Coven Academy.”
The teen drama from “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” creator Tim Federle follows teenage witch Briar at a magical boarding school located in the heart of New Orleans. There, she meets her two best friends, Sasha and Tegan, and a cast of other magical peers.
At a school where “power is currency, secrets are lethal, and attraction is a liability,” the young witches must navigate the academy’s hallowed halls and master their magical abilities to conquer the dark forces posing a threat to their way of life.
On The Red Carpet spoke with the cast, including Malina Pauli Weissman, Malachi Barton, Jordan Leftwich, Ora Duplass, Tiffani Thiessan and Devon Sawa ahead of the show’s premiere.
Weissman tells us “Briar is a little unhinged. She says what she really means. I would say she’s a little bit of a daredevil.”
Federle, who also wrote and executive produced the show explains, “If I’m an audience member who’s like, ‘I’m not sure about a magic show,’ Briar says it before you do, and that’s a really fun character to write.”
When it came to casting, Federle opened up about his process in the video below.
The series has something for everyone, whether it’s a clan of evil vampires or an unbreakable friendship on and off screen.
“We have dark forces that we’re fighting all together, and you also have girlhood, and it’s a beautiful situation where you get to see us grow and bond together,” says Leftwich.
Duplass tells us how important friendship was. “My first word that I think of when I think of ‘Coven Academy’ is ‘friendship,’ not only because of the three of our characters and that friendship, but the friendship that we created while creating the show.”
“Coven Academy” also marks a first for “Camp Rock 3” and “ZOMBIES” star Malachi Barton, who steps into a “darker” role with his character Jake.
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There’s also a love triangle brewing between Briar, Jake and Ollie (Louis Thatcher).
Weissman is having a hard time choosing between the two, saying, “I literally have no idea who she should go for. I think that they’re both great options, and I cannot wait to see what the world has to say.” In a later interview, she elaborates, “it just brings up two different sides of her. And I think it’s the devil and the angel on her shoulder.”
Barton didn’t have the same issue making a decision. “My side is that she better pick me. Are you kidding me? Come on. Jake and Briar? That’s like, squad.”
He adds to his case, telling us, “I think the Jake case is that he’s not a vampire, first of all. We bring soft spots out on each other, and I think that we would like, Jake and Briar would like, flow so well together at some point.”
“Slow burn. Slow burn,” Federle teases.
“Coven Academy” premieres Oct 1. on Freeform and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Freeform, Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.
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