Under Wraps (1997 film)

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 American television comedy film directed by Greg Beeman and starring Bill Fagerbakke (in a dual role), Adam Wylie, Mario Yedidia, and Clara Bryant, and the first Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) by Disney Channel. This television film was shot in Chico, California. It was included by the network in its 100 DCOMs celebration from May–June 2016.

Plot

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 an Egyptian mummy (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 his sarcophagus before midnight on Halloween, 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.

Cast

• Adam Wylie as Gilbert Anderson
• Mario Yedidia as Marshall
• Clara Bryant as Amy
• Bill Fagerbakke as Harold, a mummy.
  • Fagerbakke also portrays Ted, Marshall's mom's boyfriend
• Ken Campbell as Bruce
• Ed Lauter as Mr. Kubat, the main antagonist of the film.
• Corinne Bohrer as Marshall's Mom
• Tom Virtue as Movie Dad
• Laura Leary as Movie Mom
• Penny Peyser as Amy's Mom
• Telly Blackwood as Window Shopper
• Trenton Gaucher as Movie Ben
• Brooke Garrett as Movie Molly
• Joshua Dennis as Leonard
• Ryan Schofield as Todd
• Nakia Burrise as Paige
• Velina Brown as Mother in Park
• Robert Bailey Jr. as Boy in Park
• Wilma Bonet as Desk Nurse
• Atim Udoffia as E.R. Nurse
• Greg Watanabe as Doctor
• Linda Gehringer as Connie
• Kenneth Fisher as Principal Phil Hammer
• Anni Long as Jane
• Louis Landman as Kubat's Goon
• Sean McFarland as Goon at Window
• Lance Brady as Art Dealer
• Rueben Grundy as Cop
• Christina Patterson as Female Mummy
• Joel McDonell as Doctor (uncredited)
• Rusty Nelson as Doctor (uncredited)

Home media

The film was unavailable on home video until 2005, when Echo 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.

2021 remake and sequel

Main article: Under Wraps (2021 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 and Alex Zamm directing and co-writing the remake with William Robertson. A sequel was announced on February 7, 2022. The sequel, titled Under Wraps 2, was released on September 25, 2022.

See also

• List of films set around Halloween

External links

• Under Wraps at IMDb