‘Hocus Pocus 3’ Officially in Development with Stars Returning
It’s never too early to start thinking about Halloween, right? In fact, I put on Halloween movies year-round just to keep those spooky vibes alive.
Photo: Disney
My favorite movie to put on is absolutely Hocus Pocus. And we just got some very exciting news about the future of the Sanderson sisters!
Hocus Pocus 3 Officially in Development
Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in the early stages of development at Disney, according to Deadline. They also confirmed that all three of the original witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, will be reprising their roles as the iconic Sanderson sisters.
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Deadline shared that there are most likely plans for the third movie to be theatrically released this time. The sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, went straight to streaming on Disney+.
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Jessica Virtue, Executive Vice President of Production, will be overseeing the movie on behalf of Disney Live Action.
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If this news sounds slightly familiar, you would be correct. A third installment of the Hocus Pocus franchise was announced back in 2023 by former President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, Sean Bailey.
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But, when Bailey left Disney in 2024, the project’s fate was unknown and we didn’t hear any updates. It’s actually been a few years since Bette Midler said that a “brilliant” script for the movie was ready, but “producers [were] working out ‘all those logistical things’ before they can return to complete the trilogy.”
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We know nothing about the plot yet, but I truly hope it is exponentially better than what we saw for Hocus Pocus 2. As a huge fan of the original movie, the sequel completely missed the mark. Let’s see if they can make up for that in the third movie.
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The original Hocus Pocus was directed by Kenny Ortega and also starred Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, Jason Marsden, and Sean Murray, none of whom returned for the sequel. That is just one of the many problems I have with the sequel.
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I am begging Disney to get some of these people to return for the third movie! If we know anything about sequels from the past few years, it’s that nostalgia fills theater seats (just look at The Devil Wears Prada 2).
Photo: Variety
I’d also love a plot that makes more sense and feels more important than what we saw in the sequel. We went from goofy but ultimately evil witches in the first movie to them being cheesy and getting a “heartwarming” redemption arc in the second…what?
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The reason the first film works is that the witches are the VILLAINS. They do not need to be redeemed! We just want to see them and their evil hijinks! A darker tone than the sequel would also be appreciated. It is a Halloween movie, after all.
Photo: Screenrant
We will have to wait and see as the movie continues to be developed. Stay tuned for more Disney news and updates!
