HOCUS POCUS 3 Officially in the Works With Stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy Returning

It has been announced that Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in early development from Disney Live Action Studios, with the trio of stars, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy returning to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters.

Reports state there are plans for theatrical distribution this time around, following the success of the straight-to-streaming Hocus Pocus 2, available exclusively on Disney+. However, the studio declined to comment as the project is still early days.

It’s been just shy of 3 years since talk of the newest sequel plans were announced, after Midler revealed a “brilliant” script was ready, but “producers [were] working out ‘all those logistical things’ before they can return to complete the trilogy.”

Deadline reports the hold up in moving forward came down to salary negotiations with Midler, Parker, and Najimy, all of which have since been worked out.

Plot details for Hocus Pocus 3 are currently under wraps.

Released in 1993, Hocus Pocus is set on a Halloween Night when three 17th-century witches—Winnie (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy)—are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts, hundreds of years after their heyday. Without missing a beat, the trio attempts to steal the life essence from the town’s children so they can have eternal life.

The film, directed by Kenny Ortega, also starred Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Jason Marsden, and Sean Murray.

In Hocus Pocus 2 (2022), It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallows’ Eve.

The sequel, directed by Anne Fletcher, also starred Hannah Waddingham, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Whitney Peak.

Many former cast members mentioned above have spoken openly about wanting to return to the Sanderson coven, including Birch and Marsden. If it indeed is the final installment of the Hocus Pocus films, it would be great fan service to bring back some familiar faces.

Bringing back some of the original stars would be a lot of fun for fans! I look forward to seeing how the trilogy is wrapped up.