The Sanderson sisters waited 300 years to return on All Hallows’ Eve, but we won’t have to wait that long to get a sequel to Hocus Pocus. In news that fans will find “quite lovely,” Disney+ is developing a followup to the 1993 cult classic that starred Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as three soul-sucking witches. And even though the last time we saw the children-hating siblings they had been turned to dust, the Mouse House is looking for a way to bring all of them back for a new story.
Original reports in 2019 said that Disney+ had hired Workaholics writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo to pen the script for a sequel to 1993’s Hocus Pocus. During their investor presentation in December, Disney+ confirmed Hocus Pocus 2 is a go with director Adam Shankman. And now, Disney has confirmed that Midler, Najimy, and Parker will all indeed return for the film, which will hit Disney+ in 2022.
Sistaaaahs! It's been 300 years... But we’re BACK!
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) May 20, 2021#HocusPocus2 arrives Fall 2022 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/OFMTlfjCDq
Hocus Pocus 2 seems like a natural fit for the Disney+ slate, as the original film directed by Kenny Ortega has become a cult classic in the 25 plus years since its release. It has continued to find new fans after becoming a Halloween movie staple on cable television. However, its revered status with generations of viewers was not something many would have predicted. It initially disappointed, both with critics and at the box office. The movie was released to mostly negative reviews, and it pulled in under $40 million in the U.S.
Disney
Considering how beloved the movie is now, though, and also that everything Disney touches turns to gold these days (and we’re starting to think that might literally be true), we expect that Hocus Pocus 2 won’t take two decades to earn its place as part of most peoples’ regular Halloween viewing, whether the original Sanderson sisters return or not.
Of course it’s only fitting that Hocus Pocus 2 is being made for the streaming site and not for a big screen release. This way no one will have to go out to their locals theaters to see it; we will all be able to watch it while spending a quiet evening at home. And that definitely won’t be terribly uncomfortable.
Featured Image: Walt Disney Pictures
Originally published on October 24, 2019 with updates on December 10, 2020.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike, and also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
The post The Sanderson Sisters Returning for HOCUS POCUS 2 on Disney+ appeared first on Nerdist.
0 Comments