| Under Wraps | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Written by | Don Rhymer |
| Directed by | Greg Beeman |
| Starring | Adam Wylie Mario Yedidia Clara Bryant Ken Campbell Corinne Bohrer Penny Peyser Ed Lauter Bill Fagerbakke |
| Music by | David Michael Frank |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Don Rhymer |
| Cinematography | Mark W. Gray |
| Editor | Norman Hollyn |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Production companies | Mummy Entertainment Hallmark Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney Channel |
| Release | October 25, 1997 (1997-10-25) |
Under Wraps is a 1997 Americantelevisioncomedy film directed byGreg Beeman and starringBill Fagerbakke (in a dual role),Adam Wylie, Mario Yedidia, andClara Bryant, and the firstDisney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) byDisney Channel.[1][2] This television film was shot inChico, California. It was included by the network in its 100 DCOMs celebration from May–June 2016.[3]
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Marshall (Mario Yedidia) is a monster movie-obsessed preteen, and he's not crazy about his divorced mom's boyfriend Ted (Bill Fagerbakke), because he misses his dad. His friends Amy (Clara Bryant) and Gilbert (Adam Wylie) aren't as enthusiastic about his interest, but the three friends are still very close. They discover anEgyptianmummy (also played by Bill Fagerbakke) in the basement of a "dead" man's house. Because of an ancient amulet and the moonlight being in the right place at the right time, the mummy rises from the dead. The kids are initially afraid, but with time they discover he means them no harm; he's simply clumsy and confused. Marshall in particular bonds with the mummy, naming him "Harold" (explaining that the mummy reminds him of his Uncle Harold). The group decides they need to hide Harold, and attempt to find a way to help him now that they are becoming friends. After paying a visit to Bruce, a local shop owner who has a vast collection of monster-related items and knowledge of mythological/supernatural facts, they discover that if the mummy is not put back in hissarcophagus before midnight onHalloween, the mummy will cease to exist.
However, the sarcophagus is in the hands of the "dead" man, known as Mr. Kubat, who feigned his death to avoid paying his taxes. He's also involved with several illegal schemes, some involving ancient Egyptian artifacts- which is why he had a mummy hidden in his basement. Upon finding out that the mummy has "escaped" from the coffin, he orders his henchmen to look for it and bring it back in time, as he is selling it to an interested buyer. The children now have to keep Harold safe from attracting attention of local people in town, as well as protect him from the henchmen. As the Halloween deadline draws closer, the children also discover that in his previous life, Harold was in love, and wishes to be reunited with his lover. At a Halloween party, Harold can at least hide in the open since most people assume he is a normal person in costume. But when some of his bandages are pulled back from his face, it reveals he's not alive. Harold is captured, and his friends get Bruce to help them in their rescue plan (using some creative Halloween props, and Gilbert making both a dangerous and daring attempt by driving a car through a wall). After several incidents, the group finally figures out how to work together, foiling the plans of Mr. Kubat, as well as bringing Harold and his beloved back together before they return to their rest peacefully.
Meanwhile, Marshall decides to accept his mom dating Ted and the movie ends with Marshall, Gilbert, and Amy going to the movies together, and Marshall starts having signs of having a crush on Amy.
The film was unavailable on home video until 2005, whenEcho Bridge Entertainment released it on DVD. It is now available on iTunes and Amazon Video. As of 2024,Disney's streaming service has not added the film.
On November 13, 2020, it was announced that a remake of the film would premiere in October 2021 with Christian J. Simon,Malachi Barton, Sophia Hammons, and Phil Wright starring andAlex Zamm directing and co-writing the remake with William Robertson.[4] A sequel was announced on February 7, 2022.[5] The sequel, titledUnder Wraps 2, was released on September 25, 2022.[6]
The news comes as Disney Channel today unveiled plans for the 100th DCOM Celebration, a summer programming marathon centered on the airing of the network's 100th original move since 1997 — the first movie wasUnder Wraps, and the 100th will be a reimagining of the 1987 filmAdventures In Babysitting which doesn't have an airdate yet.
Disney Channel considers 1997'sUnder Wraps as its first official DCOM...