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Third time’s the charm for Hocus Pocus. Deadline reports that the fan-favorite Disney franchise, which stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, will return for a third installment at the studio.
Little is known about the project, which is in early development with all three stars returning. It will be overseen by Disney Live Action EVP of Production Jessica Virtue and may be released in theaters, a departure from Hocus Pocus 2 which went straight to streaming. A director and writer have yet to be announced.
The third film will follow Hocus Pocus 2, which was released in 2022 on Disney+. In 2024, Bette Midler provided an update on a third film, telling Busy This Week (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly) that “I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings…“I think if they’re gonna, they oughta, because time is not just marching. Time is barrel-assing to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!” she added with a laugh.
Debuting nearly 30 years after the 1993 cult classic, Hocus Pocus 2 proved to be a huge success for the studio. Within its first weekend of streaming, it was the #1 film premiere on Disney+ domestically to date. With 5.7 billion minutes viewed, the film became the fifth most-streamed movie in 2022.
“We’ve been working on some ideas, and it’s been fun to dive back into that world and we have so many directions in which to go and so many new characters to explore,” Hocus Pocus screenwriter Jen D’Angelo previously told Entertainment Weekly. She went on to say that she would like to dive deeper into Hannah Waddingham’s character from the second film.
Both Hocus Pocus films feature Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the notorious Sanderson Sisters. The sequel took place 29 years after the Black Flame Candle was lit and resurrected the witches, bringing them back for revenge.
Hocus Pocus 2 also starred Sam Richardson (“The Tomorrow War”), Doug Jones (“The Shape of Water”), Whitney Peak (“Gossip Girl”), Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories”), Lilia Buckingham (“Dirt”), Froy Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), with Tony Hale (“Veep”) and Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”).
The film was directed by Anne Fletcher (“Dumplin,’” “The Proposal”) from a screenplay by Jen D’Angelo (“Workaholics”) and a story by David Kirschner (“Hocus Pocus,” “Chucky”) & Blake Harris, and Jen D’Angelo, produced by Lynn Harris (“King Richard,” “The Shallows”), with Ralph Winter (“Hocus Pocus,” “X-Men” franchise), David Kirschner (“Hocus Pocus,” “Chucky”), and Adam Shankman (“Disenchanted,” “Hairspray”) serving as executive producers.
Photo Credit: Disney
