The Hollywood Reporter has breaking news that is neither startling nor surprising. Hocus Pocus 3 is currently in development, following the popularity of last year's long-delayed sequel on Disney+. The sequel broke streaming records, while the first picture was a box office flop before becoming a cult classic popular enough to spawn a series 30 years later.
Details about Hocus Pocus 3 are currently being kept under wraps, and there has been no confirmation of the return of all of the Sanderson sisters. Midler has stated that "if there was a third one, of course, I'd sign on." The original film ended with a tease that the Sandersons could return after being presumably killed by Max (Omri Katz) and his sister, Dani (Thora Birch), but something more powerful than magic kept them on ice: a poor box office performance.
Hocus Pocus 3 will, like the sequel, be released immediately on Disney+, avoiding the risk of a flop like the original, which earned only $45 million. In comparison, Free Willy, which was released on the same day, earned more than $150 million. The decision to release a Halloween-themed film in July did not pan out, but once available on video and broadcast on cable, Hocus Pocus became a smashing success.
After Hocus Pocus was re-released in theatres during Covid and grossed over a million dollars, Disney finally heard the call for a sequel. That was enough to justify a sequel, which starred Whitney Peak as Becca, a young girl who discovers she's a witch. If the three main actors do not return, there is a chance for a Becca-centric picture, or Hocus Pocus 3 may include a rising Hollywood star.
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso's breakout star and an infamous Game of Thrones character, was introduced in Hocus Pocus 2 as the Mother Witch, a supernatural creature who originally gifted the Sanderson sisters a book of spells. Waddingham hasn't confirmed her involvement in Hocus Pocus 3, but her character suggests that the series could abandon Salem entirely.
