Hocus Pocus 3 Gets Optimistic Update From Bette Midler 1 Year After Disney+ Greenlight (2024)

Bette Midler provides an encouraging update on Hocus Pocus 3's production progress. The cult-classic 1993 family comedy starred Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as a trio of long-dead witches brought back to life in the 90s by three kids. With home release and TV broadcasts giving the movie a second chance after underperforming in theaters, it paved the way for a sequel to be released on Disney+ in 2022. Since then, Hocus Pocus 3 was greenlit over a year ago, but there haven't been any new updates.

Recently, Midler opened up about the current state of the sequel's production on The Jess Cagle Show. The actor was careful to avoid revealing any details, simply stating that she was aware that the sequel was still in early development, before breaking down just what has kept her so fond of playing Winnie Sanderson after over 30 years. Check out Middler's full response below:

Now, they're kind of talking about a third, very gingerly and very gently. They are. They're talking about a third. The second one was a huge success.

She is the closest thing I will ever get to Shakespeare. She's from the era, from the time of Shakespeare. She really does put it on, and yet she has all the great things you love in a great villain. She's vicious, she's hilarious, she's ridiculous-looking, and she doesn't know any of that. It goes completely over her head."

Is Bette Middler Confirming A Sanderson Sister Return?

It's Unclear Whether All The Sanderson Sisters Will Return Following The Hocus Pocus 2 Ending.

While Hocus Pocus 2's success is of little surprise, it is unclear just how a third movie could pick up where the Disney+ sequel left off for the Sanderson sisters. While on the verge of casting a powerful spell that would exact vengeance on Salem for the harm the town caused them, Winifred accidentally condemned Mary (Najimy) and Sarah (Parker) to fade away in exchange for the power. Remorseful for condemning her sisters, Winnie begs Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) to reunite with her sisters, giving them some peace.

As such, it is unclear where another sequel could take the characters. In the Hocus Pocus 2 ending, Becca, Cassie, and Izzy are left as the inheritors of Sanderson's legacy and set off to learn magic for themselves, potentially under the very same Mother Witch (Hannah Waddingham) who gave the sisters the means to become witches themselves. But with a third black candle sitting in the home-turned-magic shop formerly owned by the Sandersons, perhaps a third resurrection could see them return as somewhat unwilling mentors to the girls who laid them to rest in 2022.

Regardless of how she may return, Midler is keen to play Winifred for as long as possible. Not only does her love for the character clearly show in her statements, but her awareness of conversations surrounding the production shows that she is interacting with those leading it. As such, Hocus Pocus 3 may be in early development, but it is running smoothly enough for its stars to begin entering conversations.

Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are available on Disney+.

Source: The Jess Cagle Show

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus is a multimedia franchise owned by Disney and created by David Kirschner and Mick Garris. The franchise began with the 1993 film Hocus Pocus, which centers on the town of Salem, Massachusetts, during the resurrection of the Sanderson Sisters, three witches who gain their powers from the souls of children. A sequel followed in 2022, with several projects such as a theme park attraction, a sequel novelization, and more arrived before the nearly twenty-year gap between films.

Created by

David Kirschner , Mick Garris

First Film

Hocus Pocus

Cast

Bette Midler , Sarah Jessica Parker , Kathy Najimy , Omri Katz , Jason Marsden , Thora Birch , Vinessa Shaw , Whitney Peak , Belissa Escobedo , Lilia Buckingham

Character(s)

Winifred Sanderson , Sarah Sanderson , Mary Sanderson