Fantasy fans have been desperate to know if there will be a Hocus Pocus 3 ever since the sequel of the Disney film premiered in September – and if so, will the original witches be returning?
It's been a little over a month since Hocus Pocus 2 sent '90s kids everywhere into full-blown nostalgia mode, bringing them back to one of the most iconic Halloween family flicks of the decade. The 2022 sequel saw Beth Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Ann Najimy reprise their roles as the witchy Sanderson sisters, nearly 30 years on from the release of the original Disney movie.
The story of Hocus Pocus 2 once again explored themes of supernaturalism and revenge, with the mythical trio being invoked by the same Black Flame Candle featured in the first film. It also saw the introduction of several new cast members and a brand new setting, prompting many viewers to wonder where was Hocus Pocus 2 filmed and who starred in the fantastical sequel. Now that we know everything there is to know about the two films, we've shifted our focus to the future. You know what that means – it's time to discuss Hocus Pocus 3.
Will there be a Hocus Pocus 3?
A Hocus Pocus 3 has not been confirmed, but that doesn't mean it's completely off the cards. While Disney has yet to address speculation about a third movie, several members of the cast have expressed their interest in the project. Najimy, who plays Hocus Pocus's Mary Sanderson, appeared cautiously open to reprising her role during a recent interview with PEOPLE.
"It was fun, but it's not nothing. It's a lot, but who knows? ... Who knew that almost 30 years later we'd be doing this sequel?" the 65-year-old suggested she wouldn't wait another three decades, however, to reprise her witchy role alongside Parker and Middler.
"I think if we did it 30 years later again, well, there would be walkers and canes involved," she said jokingly. "The flying might just be a little one-foot blip off the ground."
It appears that the Hocus Pocus 2 bigwigs haven't ruled out the possibility of another script either. Executive producer Adam Shankman praised director Anne Fletcher's handling of Becca's storyline in an October interview with the Hollywood Reporter, adding that it created "a lot of excitement about potential spinoffs." Fletcher herself also revealed that she wanted the option to revisit the Hocus Pocus story, telling SFX magazine that she kept the second movie's ending "wide open for any sequel."
And if that wasn't enough to give you hope, here's another encouraging quote from producer Lynn Harris. "There’s always potential," she told SFX. "It’s a movie about magic and witches. Those things are timeless, aren’t they? A multiverse of witches!"
Kathy Najimy, Bette Middler and Sarah Jessica Parker at the Hocus Pocus 2 premiere
Hocus Pocus 3 – what we know of a possible release date
The release date for Hocus Pocus 3, if it ends up happening, remains a total mystery. With the film still completely hypothetical, it's highly unlikely we'll be seeing a return of the Sanderson sisters any time soon. Hocus Pocus 2 didn't even hit cinemas until September 2022, despite becoming public news in October 2019.
With this timeline in mind, movie buffs have theorized that if Hocus Pocus 3 were to be commissioned, fans would looking at a September 2024 or 2025 release date.
Who could be in the cast of Hocus Pocus 3?
With its script still unwritten, the cast of the potential Hocus Pocus 3 remains a mystery. If Middler and Namijy's statements are anything to go by, however, we could be looking at some delightfully familiar faces in the sequel.
Whitney Peak, who plays Becca in Hocus Pocus 2, has also said she'd be 'down' to reprise her role in a third movie.
It's possible that Hocus Pocus 3 would echo the format of its predecessor, however, by keeping the Sanderson sisters but replacing the mortal teenagers. The original Hocus Pocus in 1993 saw the witches be accidentally freed by a teenager named Max, who then embarked on a mission to stop them from reigning terror over his hometown, Salem. In Hocus Pocus 2, the same plotline applies, but this time, it's driven by three teenage girls. It's totally unknown what writers could have in mind for Hocus Pocus 3, but one thing's for sure, we're more than excited to find out.
What has Sarah Jessica Parker said about doing Hocus Pocus 3?
Sarah Jessica Parker has even teased that she'd sign up for a Hocus Pocus 3, joking that she wouldn't even have an option.
"Bette is already starting rumors," she told Extra at the NYC premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 in September. "I hitch my wagon to her star. If she wants to do a third one… No one says no to the Divine Miss M."
The Sex and the City star also credited Middler for Hocus Pocus 2, revealing that she had a "fervent wish that this would happen and could not be deterred from the idea."
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