Disney is officially developing a third installment to its original “Hocus Pocus” film.
During a recent interview with The New York Times, Sean Bailey, the president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed that the studio is actively involved in the development of Hocus Pocus 3.
No additional details were provided regarding the potential third installment, such as its release date or casting choices. However, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, all of whom starred in the previous films, expressed their willingness to participate in another movie.
In the Hocus Pocus movies, the three women portrayed the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches who were cursed and banished from Salem, Massachusetts. The films depict their eerie return to the town years later as they seek out unsuspecting souls to consume in order to regain their youthfulness.
This announcement follows the tremendous success of Hocus Pocus 2, which shattered streaming records upon its premiere on Disney+ in September of last year. The sequel arrived almost three decades after the release of the original film in 1993.
“I’ve always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once,” Midler told Entertainment Weekly in September. “I’d love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing.”
When asked about a third installment, Midler said she couldn’t figure out the storyline but will still be apart of the franchise.
“I can’t imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary and our relationship,” Midler said. “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!”
