A third movie in the classic “Hocus Pocus” series is officially in the works.
Walt Disney Pictures’ spooky fantasy comedy franchise follows the exploits of three sisters; Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson (Bette Midler), Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy).
The sisters are 17th century witches. Having been condemned to death by hanging for practicing witchcraft on October 31, 1693, the trio were resurrected into modern times. However, having been vanquished twice before, those pesky enchantresses just keep coming back.
Per Deadline, “Hocus Pocus 3” has been greenlit. Excitingly, the original movie’s stars Midler, Parker, and Najimy will reprise their roles as the iconic Sanderson sisters.
A third installment was initially announced in 2023 by Sean Bailey, former President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production. However, after Bailey left Disney in 2024, the project was left in limbo.
Now that it’s definitely happening, its understood there are plans for a theatrical distribution component.
The Original ‘Hocus Pocus’ Is a Bona Fide Halloween Classic
Released on July 16, 1993, the original “Hocus Pocus” movie has become something of a Halloween staple — especially for those people who find hardcore horror movies a little difficult to stomach.
Per IMDb, the movie’s plot is as follows: “A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.”
In addition to Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, its cast included Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones. Kenny Ortega directed it.
It only holds an underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 42%. However, it’s far more popular with movie fans than it is with critics. In fact, it has become a cult classic since its release. It was a modest box office success, grossing just over $48 million worldwide, having cost $28 million to make (per Box Office Mojo).
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Brought the Magic Back
A second movie in the franchise, “Hocus Pocus 2,” was released on September 30, 2022.
It wasn’t in any theaters and, instead, went straight to the popular streaming platform Disney+.
Per IMDb, the plot for this one is as follows: “Two young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.”
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones reprised their roles from the first movie. The likes of Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham joined the cast. Anne Fletcher directed the movie.
It cost $40 million to make and holds a more impressive 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What We Know About ‘Hocus Pocus 3’
“Hocus Pocus 3” doesn’t yet have a release date, but its IMDb page is somewhat revealing.
The site describes its plot thusly: “Winnie asks Becca to cast a reunion spell, but it sends Winnie to the afterlife instead of bringing Mary and Sarah back. The possibility of their return via another Black Flame candle remains unknown.”
Anne Fletcher will be on directorial duties again. IMDb also suggests Omri Katz, who had previously retired from acting, is set to reprise his role as Max Dennison from the first movie, which is very exciting.
There’s no confirmed release date for “Hocus Pocus 3” yet. However, that doesn’t stop us from being excited about it. If you’re a fan of Disney, Halloween, witches, or any of those things, you should be excited too.
