Hocus Pocus 3 is in development at Disney according to studio executive Sean Bailey
Hocus Pocus 3 is in development at Disney according to studio executive Sean Bailey…though it’s unclear if Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will return
Months after Hocus Pocus 2 debuted on the Disney Plus streaming service, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production President Sean Bailey confirmed that Hocus Pocus 3 is coming.
Bailey revealed in a new interview with The New York Times that a third installment of the Halloween franchise is taking place.
“Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 will continue,” Bailey confirmed in the interview, though no further details were revealed.
The news isn’t very surprising given the success of Hocus Pocus 2, which set a new record with 2.7 billion minutes watched in its first week on Disney Plus.
There’s no confirmation yet that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will return as the Sanderson Sisters, though it seems likely.
Next: Months after Hocus Pocus 2 debuted on the Disney Plus streaming service, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production President Sean Bailey confirmed that Hocus Pocus 3 is coming
Continued: ‘Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is coming,’ Bailey confirmed in the interview, though no other specifics were revealed
The original Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, following the three witches known as the Sanderson Sisters – Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker) and Mary (Najimy), who are unintentionally resurrected on Halloween – 300 years after they were executed in Salem.
The movie also starred Omri Katz and Thora Birch as the children who brought the witches to life, along with Vinessa Shaw and Doug Jones.
The film earned $45 million at the box office and became a cult classic upon its release on home video.
Freeform would air the film annually on Halloween, with 8.2 million viewers tuning in for its 25th anniversary release in 2018, with an anniversary special filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
While the stars had often spoken of their interest in returning for a sequel, it finally entered development in 2019.
Anne Fletcher signed on to direct from a script by original Hocus Pocus writer David Kirschner, along with Jen D’Angelo and Blake Harris.
The cast was completed with Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, Doug Jones, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham and Froy Gutierrez.
Viewership was spread across many different demographics, with 2- to 11-year-olds, 18- to 34-year-olds, and 35- to 49-year-olds each accounting for 25%.
Original: The original Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, following the three witches known as the Sanderson Sisters – Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker) and Mary (Najimy), who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween – 300 years after they were executed in Salem
Cast: The film also starred Omri Katz and Thora Birch (center) as the kids who brought the witches to life, along with Vinessa Shaw and Doug Jones.
Development: While the stars had often spoken of their interest in returning for a sequel, it finally went into development in 2019
Spanish audiences also accounted for about 21% of the viewing audience, while the sequel also brought the 1993 original film Hocus Pocus back into the top 10.
The original film received 774 million minutes of viewing, which tied for seventh on the charts from September 27 to October 2.
It’s also worth noting that Nielsen’s streaming rankings only cover viewing on a TV screen, meaning mobile viewing is not counted.