Is Hocus Pocus 3 Still Happening At Disney, Or Are The Sanderson Sisters Done Running Amok?
The original "Hocus Pocus" was a box office flop with middling reviews, but became a cult classic after seasonal screenings and its availability through home video rental. It's now viewed as a seminal Halloween must-watch for millennials everywhere, and nearly 30 years after the original film's release, The Sanderson sisters returned with Disney+ debuted "Hocus Pocus 2." The latest adventure sees a group of friends in Salem accidentally bringing back Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson yet again. If the sisters thought 1993 was weird, 2022 might as well be an entirely different planet. Their home has been turned into a novelty magic shop, teen girls are recreationally practicing witchcraft for fun, and vacuum cleaners no longer need to be plugged in. The film was praised for being silly, fun, and loaded with nostalgia, and was supposedly the most-watched Disney+ premiere on the platform thus far (I say "supposedly" because these statistics are self-reported).
The end of "Hocus Pocus 2" sees Winifred learning that she values her sisters over being the most powerful witch in existence, and the ending even sets up the possibility of another film. Director Anne Fletcher explained to SFX Magazine that she intentionally "kept it wide open for any sequel." But is a sequel going to happen? Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, certainly seems to think so. In speaking with The New York Times, Bailey said there are more than 50 movies in various stages of development and production, including "Hocus Pocus 3." "Yes, 'Hocus Pocus 3' is happening," he said, but did not provide any additional details. However, movies are announced all the time that never come to fruition ... will this be the case for a third "Hocus Pocus" film?
What the cast has said about Hocus Pocus 3
"Hocus Pocus 2" introduced a new trio of witchy gal pals with Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), who would be formidable characters to carry on the film's legacy. However, it's not a "Hocus Pocus" movie without the Sanderson Sisters, who would certainly need to appear, or else Disney risks inciting a mob armed with brooms, torches, and pitchforks in the streets. Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Sarah Sanderson, told Extra TV that she's on board under one condition. "Bette is already starting rumors ... I hitch my wagon to her star. If she wants to do a third one ... no one says no to the Divine Miss M," she said. Kathy Najimy doesn't seem to be against the idea but recognizes that things might have to be a little bit different for what will presumably be the last go around. "I think if we did it 30 years later again, well, there would be walkers and canes involved. The flying might just be a little one-foot blip off the ground," she told People Magazine.
As for Midler, she told Entertainment Weekly that she was envious of people who get to play their character more than once and would love to play Winifred once more. "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," she also said, "If there was a third one, of course, I'd sign on, but I don't know how." It's not that Midler is against the idea, but the story would have to justify it. "But I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary, and our relationship [...] We stick together through hell and high water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem!"
What about the other characters?
Sam Richardson spoke with TheWrap and said he'd absolutely want to return for a third film and had a great time playing the surprisingly villainous Gilbert in the second film. "I'd go and play on that set any day of the week. You just tell me, I'll be there," Richardson said. As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as too much Sam Richardson, and I'd be thrilled to see another face-off with the character. He's canonically a character who was a part of the first film as well, even if we didn't see him. This would make him a perfect through-line for the entire trilogy, other than the Sanderson sisters, of course.
While we're on the subject, as thrilled as fans were for the return of the witchy trio and Doug Jones' Billy Butcherson, there was a bit of disappointment over a lack of the original protagonists, Max (Omri Katz), Dani (Thora Birch), and Allison (Vinessa Shaw). It made sense why Thackery Binx (Sean Murray/Jason Marsden) wasn't in "Hocus Pocus 2" as the character has crossed over to the afterlife, but what happened to the Dennisons and Alison? There were reports that Thora Birch had been approached to return but had scheduling conflicts, while other reports circulated that it was "difficult" to fit the characters in, even in a cameo capacity.
However, Katz has gone on record with EW to say that he would happily join "Hocus Pocus 3" if they asked. "Yes, I would return if Disney approached me," he says. "It would be an honor to return, hopefully with some of my fellow castmates, and make a fun addition to the franchise!"