Whoopi Goldberg has been waiting years to step back into Deloris Van Cartier’s habit, and she may finally have a reason to feel hopeful about “Sister Act 3.”
The 70-year-old actress, who starred in the original “Sister Act” and its 1993 sequel, has repeatedly pushed to get another movie made. EntertainmentNow previously revisited Goldberg and the rest of the beloved “Sister Act” cast as plans for a third installment remained in development. Now, Goldberg has offered a surprising “Sister Act 3” update after years of waiting.
Whoopi Goldberg Says ‘Sister Act 3’ May Finally Have Movement
Speaking to PEOPLE after the Season 30 premiere of “The View,” Goldberg didn’t hide her frustration over how long “Sister Act 3” has taken to come together. “This is like seven, eight years now going on,” Goldberg said when asked about the project.
Asked whether she was as frustrated as fans by the delays, she responded, “Yes, yes! Oh my God!” Goldberg believes the enduring relationship audiences have with the franchise is part of the reason another installment still makes sense decades after the first movie.
“I don’t think they really understand the relationship people have to ‘Sister Act.’ Everybody grew up with it,” she told PEOPLE. The actress then joked that she hopes the movie happens “sooner rather than later because I’m getting old!”
Despite that frustration, Goldberg ended her latest update with some encouraging words. She described the lengthy development as “a process” but said she is “cautiously optimistic that we may see movement.” No production start or release date has been announced. Goldberg’s comments don’t mean the movie has officially begun moving forward.
Goldberg Thinks the Movie Was Put on the ‘Backburner’
“Sister Act 3” has been discussed for years. Disney officially confirmed in 2020 that Goldberg would return as Deloris and produce the project alongside Tyler Perry for Disney+. But the long-awaited sequel has yet to reach audiences.
Goldberg now believes other projects may have taken priority. “They’ve been doing these other projects first,” she told PEOPLE. “And I think we’ve been sort of on the backburner.” She pointed to Disney’s other legacy projects without naming specific titles.
Goldberg also suggested that fans reminding Disney how much they miss “Sister Act” could potentially help, although she acknowledged that she doesn’t know whether it would make a difference.
Her comments come after years of public enthusiasm for the project. Keke Palmer previously volunteered to join the movie, while Goldberg has expressed interest in bringing familiar faces from the franchise back.
Maggie Smith Was Waiting for the ‘Sister Act 3’ Script
Goldberg’s latest interview also revealed how far an earlier version of “Sister Act 3” had apparently progressed.
Maggie Smith, who played Reverend Mother opposite Goldberg in the first two films, had verbally agreed to return and was waiting for a completed script, according to Goldberg.
“When we thought we had it the first time, she was waiting for the completed script,” Goldberg told PEOPLE. But Goldberg said people then wanted changes to the project, and it became “mired, as movies do.”
Smith died in September 2024 at age 89, meaning any eventual third movie will move forward without one of the franchise’s most recognizable stars.
Still, Goldberg hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for playing Deloris again. “I want to put those boots on,” Goldberg said. “I want to put that hair on! I want to put on my habit! “I am ready.” After years of waiting for “Sister Act 3,” Goldberg appears more than ready to get back in the habit.
