Bette Midler is pushing Disney to accelerate the production of Hocus Pocus 3. The upcoming movie is the follow-up to the 2022 sequel, which was released on Disney’s streaming platform.

Despite the official announcement of the third installment in June 2022, Midler revealed on the QVC+ talk show Busy This Week that she has yet to see a script. The actor emphasized the urgency, noting that neither she nor her co-stars, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, are getting any younger.

Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham shares her reaction to Hocus Pocus fans’ interest in her possible return as Mother Witch in the upcoming installment.

“I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings,” she said. “I think if they’re gonna do it, they ought to hurry because time is not just marching; it’s barreling to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!”

“Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!”

Screenwriter Jen D’Angelo confirmed to Entertainment Weekly last year, following the end of the WGA strike, that Hocus Pocus 3 is still in development. D’Angelo mentioned that they are still working on the story and exploring various directions and new characters. She noted the excitement of revisiting the world of Hocus Pocus and hinted at further development of Hannah Waddingham’s character, the mother witch.

Hocus Pocus’s popularity earned it a sequel in 2022, but it also created a potentially great story idea for an ongoing television series for Disney.

Following Disney’s confirmation of Hocus Pocus 3, original star Omri Katz expressed his eagerness to reprise his role as Max Dennison, one of the teens who accidentally resurrected the Sanderson Sisters. Katz, along with fellow original cast members Vinessa Shaw and Thora Birch, did not appear in Hocus Pocus 2, but he said expressed his desire to collaborate with former castmates on the fun franchise. He also voiced his excitement for the upcoming sequel and satisfaction with the franchise’s growing popularity after 30 years.

Hocus Pocus 3 Is in the Early Works

The original 1993 Hocus Pocus featured Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the iconic Sanderson sisters, alongside Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw. While the film received mixed reviews initially, it became a cult classic over the years due to its annual airings on Disney Channel and Freeform. In contrast, Hocus Pocus 2, released in 2022 on Disney+, starred the original Sanderson sisters and a new cast, including Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham.

Though it did not have a traditional box office release, it became the most-watched film premiere on Disney+ at the time. It broke records on the Nielsen Top 10 streaming charts with an opening weekend of 2.7 billion minutes watched. The original movie had a modest box office performance, earning around $50 million worldwide against a $28 million budget, but its long-lasting popularity eventually led to a successful sequel nearly three decades later.

Anne Fletcher is set to return to direct the third film.

Source: QVC+

Hocus Pocus

PG
Comedy
Family
Fantasy

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.

DirectorKenny Ortega
Release DateJuly 16, 1993
StudioWalt Disney Pictures
CastSarah Jessica Parker , Bette Midler , Kathy Najimy , Omri Katz , Thora Birch , Vinessa Shaw
Runtime96 minutes