Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that the long-teased Hocus Pocus 3 film is officially in development.
Key Points
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The news comes almost three years after Disney first announced that the threequel was in the works.
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Franchise stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker will reprise their beloved roles as the Sanderson sisters.
The Sanderson sisters are returning to triple your trouble!Entertainment Weeklyhas confirmed that the long-teasedHocus Pocus 3film is officially in development, almost three years afterDisneyfirst announced thatthe threequel was in the works.
Franchise starsBette Midler,Kathy Najimy, andSarah Jessica Parkerwill reprise their beloved roles as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of Salem witches who can't seem to stay away from modern times.
The news follows the major streaming success ofHocus Pocus 2in 2022, which reunited the central stars 29 years after the release of director Kenny Ortega's 1993 original, andbroke streaming recordsfor theDisney+platform upon its debut.
Deadline, which first broke the news, reports that there are plans for a theatrical distribution component this time following the sequel's massive success while available exclusively on Disney+. EVP of Production Jessica Virtue will be overseeing the project on behalf of Disney Live Action.
Disney first announced in the summer of 2023 that a third film was in development, withwriter Jen D'Angelo telling EWshortly afterward that she had a lot of ideas for the sequel, including potentially expanding upon the storyline set forth byHannah Waddingham's mother witch in the 2022 sequel.
"We're still in the story phase, we're still working on it. 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," D'Angelo said at the time. "We've only scratched the surface ofHannah Waddingham's mother witch."
When D'Angeloconfirmed news EW broke in early 2022that OG starThora Birch— along with costarsVinessa ShawandOmri Katz, who collectively portrayed the children who resurrected the sinister Sanderson Sisters in 1993 Salem — would not be returning for the second film, she also shared several ideas featuring Birch that could possibly serve as elements inHocus Pocus 3.
"I was so invested in trying to get [Birch as] Dani back into the story. We had a bunch of different versions of that, too, where she was really a part of it," D'Angelorevealed at the time, noting that "there were some versions where she was popping in briefly as a cameo," and another where "she has a whole arsenal of anti-magic" to fight the Sandersons' modern resurrection in the sequel.
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Almost a year later, in June 2024, Midlergave another updateduring an interview onThe Jess Cagle Show. The actress said at the time that Disney was "very gingerly and very gently" working on the third film.
DirectorAnne Fletchertook over to helmHocus Pocus 2, which again resurrected Midler, Parker, and Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, who returned to terrorize a modern-day group of teenage girls that unwittingly brought them back from the dead on Halloween. Thefilm ended on an ambiguous note that teased a potential continuationof the story ahead.
Original starDoug Jonesalso returned for the sequel as thezombified Billy Butcherson, though EW exclusively confirmed that other actors from the first film — includingLarry Bagby, Tobias Jelinek,Katz, Shaw,andBirch— would not reprise their roles in the sequel.
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In anexclusive interview with EWforHocus Pocus 2, Midler, Parker, and Najimy shared their thoughts on continuing the series for a third film.
"I'm envious of other actors who have franchises, and I was hoping for a sequel toFirst Wives Club,but we never got that. After 30 years with no sequel toHocus Pocus, I've always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once. The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I'm glad we got to do it. I'd love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing," Midler said at the time.
She added, "If there was a third one, of course I'd sign on, 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 water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem!"
"Kathy had a good idea that the third one should be animated," Parker shared. "That would be cool and a smart idea. It's fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation]... Of course I'd be happy to have a conversation [for a third film], it just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!"
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