We are so back, witches. It’s been a tumultuous three years since Hocus Pocus 3 was first announced to be in development at Disney, with numerous updates from Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and other members of the cast about another return for the Sanderson Sisters. A trilogy capper to send off the series felt inevitable after Hocus Pocus 2 became a Disney+ smash hit and left room for more mayhem to come with the reveal of a second Black Flame candle and the presence of The Witch Mother (Hannah Waddingham), but the process hasn’t been that simple. Although things appeared to be trending in the wrong direction for a moment, the update everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived.
A new report confirms that the House of Mouse has officially cast a spell and brought the Halloween-coded threequel into early development. All three of Midler, Parker, and Kathy Najimy are also attached to reprise their witchy roles under Disney Live-Action Studios. Even better news for Hocus Pocus 3 is that there are reportedly plans for theatrical distribution, though the company has yet to confirm that. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Sandersons head to the big screen, though. Hocus Pocus 2 broke records on streaming, becoming the most-watched original film on Disney+ in its first three days, showing that there is plenty of interest in seeing more of the trio.
A big factor in the long road to Hocus Pocus 3 was the departure of former Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production president Sean Bailey back in 2024. Bailey had originally announced the project in 2023, yet it was left hanging in his absence. Midler revealed last year that they finally had a “brilliant” script ready for the production, with only a few other details to work out behind the scenes, which, reportedly, were salary negotiations with the three stars. There’s no word yet on who is writing or directing the third installment, nor are there any plot details to share yet, but if there’s an idea ready to go, the Black Flame candle might be lit once again sooner than you think.
Will Other Original ‘Hocus Pocus’ Cast Members Return for ‘Hocus Pocus 3’?
The original Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega, hit theaters back in 1993 and became a Halloween classic, taking place in Salem, Massachusetts during the spooky holiday as Winnie (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are inadvertently resurrected hundreds of years after their prime. Upon their return, they pick right up where they left off, attempting to steal the life from the town’s children to become immortal. It’s left up to Max (Omri Katz), his younger sister Dani (Thora Birch), his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and the magical talking cat Thackery Binx (Jason Marsden) to stop them before they can make their reign of terror last forever. Anne Fletcher‘s sequel, meanwhile, introduced a new slate of stars, including Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, Whitney Peak, and Sam Richardson, as the witches returned 20 years later with a dastardly new plan for the people of Salem.
While it’s impossible to make a new Hocus Pocus without the Sandersons, none of the original stars, save for Doug Jones‘ Billy Butcher, made it back for the sequel. However, they’ve been vocal about wanting to get involved with whatever their old witchy foes had in store. During a panel at MegaCon Orlando, hosted by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt earlier this year, Katz and Marsden shared that they weren’t in the loop yet about the threequel. “Your first question about Hocus Pocus 3, as far as I know, there is a development deal, and that’s all I think we know,” the former responded, before Marsden clarified that, “No one has contacted us.” Katz was particularly uncertain about Hocus Pocus 3‘s future with Josh D’Amaro taking over for Bob Iger, but reaffirmed that, if it happened, they’d want to be summoned back, too.
“But yeah, it was announced that it was greenlit. We have not been contacted, and then you all know this new CEO with Disney, which means things are going to change even more. We don’t know the life of this. If they do it, and they invite us, absolutely. I think we’d all like to do it again, totally.”
via Collider