Hocus Pocus 3 is in the works at Disney, confirms studio executive

5 June 2023, 14:21 | Updated: 5 June 2023, 14:23

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Will there be a Hocus Pocus 3? Here's what we know about the new film...

Disney fans rejoice, because the executive has confirmed Hocus Pocus 3 is in the works.

Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed the news in a new interview with The New York Times.

“Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is happening,” he said.

• Listen on Global Player: Spencer & Vogue. Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams let you know what they’re doing, thinking, and disagreeing on every week

There is no confirmation that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will return as the Sanderson Sisters but they stars have previously supported the idea.

Bette previously said: "After 30 years with no sequel to Hocus Pocus, I've always been envious of people who get to do their favourite character more than once.

• Hocus Pocus 2 songs will make the perfect soundtrack for Halloween
• You can now stay in a Hocus Pocus-themed Airbnb

"The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I'm glad we got to do it. 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!"

Sarah added: "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].... Of course I'd be happy to have a conversation [for a third film], it just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!"

This comes after Hocus Pocus 2 set a new record with 2.7 billion viewing minutes in its first week on Disney Plus.

The original, which was released in 1993, tells the story of three witches known as the Sanderson Sisters - Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker) and Mary (Najimy).

In the film, the trio are resurrected on Halloween, 300 years after they were executed in Salem.

At the time, the film earned $45 million (£36,323,100) and has gone on to become a cult classic.

When the sequel was announced, many people from the original cast chose not to be a part of it including Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw and Thora Birch who played Max, Allison and Dani.

Speaking on this decision, director Anne Fletcher told Entertainment Weekly: "We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, how do we make this work?

"It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly.

She went on: "You're trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo.

"People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied?

"You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry."