Hocus Pocus 3: Everything we know

Hocus Pocus 2 was a big hit for Disney on its streaming service, making a further sequel very much inevitable, so here’s everything we know about Hocus Pocus 3 so far.

The first Hocus Pocus movie starred Better Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of evil witch sisters, and while the high-concept comedy was a modest hit in 1993, it took nearly 30 years for a sequel to happen.

Hocus Pocus 2 saw all three actresses return as the diabolical Sanderson Sisters, and the film was a smash on Disney+. A record-setting 2.7 billion minutes were streamed during the movie’s launch weekend, and it was the fifth most streamed movie of 2022, with a grand total of 5.7 billion minutes viewed.

So it’s no surprise that the studio is making plans for a third instalment in the franchise – here’s everything we know about Hocus Pocus 3.

Is Hocus Pocus 3 happening?

Yes! During a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times over the weekend, Sean Bailey – President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Productions – confirmed that Hocus Pocus 3 is in the works.

He didn’t give any details regarding the direction of the sequel, but the film’s executive producer, and one of its stars, have previously gone on the record to discuss a third.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in September, Bette Midler said: “I’d love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing. If there was a third one, of course I’d sign on, but I don’t know how.

“I can’t imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary and our relationship. It’s good for women. We stick together through hell and high water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem.”

Producer Adam Shankman thinks new character Becca – played by Whitney Peake – could take center stage in a spinoff or sequel. In October, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “[Director] Anne [Fletcher] I think handled that really, really beautifully,” of the revelation that Becca’s a witch.

“We went back and forth on how that was going to work, if it was going to work, forever, and Anne was just like, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And I think it’s great. And it creates a lot of excitement about potential spinoffs.”

Hocus Pocus 3: Stars want animated sequel

Kathy Najimy was unsure about a sequel, telling EW: “I feel like we’re done. We’ve pulled every story you could pull out of this. I guess, never say never, but I feel grateful that we got to do it again. I don’t know that there are plans for a third one, but I know fans are dedicated to this film. I’m just happy we can bring this to them.”

But Sarah Jessica Parker thinks it could happen via one of Najimy’s pitches, revealing: “Kathy had a good idea that the third one should be animated. That would be cool and a smart idea. It’s fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation].”

That’s everything we know about Hocus Pocus 3, but we’ll update this article when more news drops. Until then, you can read our Hocus Pocus 2 review here.