Another Hocus Pocus Is in the making.
Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed in an interview with The New York Times That Hocus Pocus 3 is happening.
It comes as no surprise given the success of last year’s sequel, which set a record opening weekend by a movie on a streamer with 2.7 billion minutes watched. Overall, the film landed at number 5 of the most-streamed movies of 2022 with a total of 5.7 billion minutes watched.
While the first movie wasn’t a blockbuster, it became a cult hit over the years thanks to broadcasts on basic cable.
The third film would follow the 1993 Kenny Ortega original and last year’s Anne Fletcher-directed sequel, both starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters — Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, respectively — a trio of witches. they suck the life force out of children in an effort to stay young.
At the Hocus Pocus 2 premiered last year, executive producer Adam Shankman hinted The Hollywood Reporter that there were more stories to tell. That movie introduced teenage Becca (Whitney Peak), who turns out to be a witch herself.
Fletcher “handled that (storyline) very, very nicely,” Shankman said of Becca’s discovery. “We went back and forth about how that would work, whether it would work, forever, and Anne was like, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And I love it, and it creates a lot of excitement about possible spin-offs.”
It is unclear if there were any conversations with Midler, Parker and Najimy. As for her, Midler told Weekly entertainment last year that she would be game to revisit her role.
“I’d love to have a franchise — especially a character I enjoy playing,” she said. “If there was a third, of course I would sign up, but I don’t know how. I can’t imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary and our relationship. It’s good for women. We stick together through hell and high tide, but we cause chaos, and not many women cause that much chaos.
