The Sanderson Sisters are one step nearer to getting again collectively, it appears. “Hocus Pocus 2” debuted in 2022 and delivered the sequel that oh so many ’90s children had been ready almost 30 years for. Ever since, there’s been discuss “Hocus Pocus 3,” which seems to nonetheless be taking place at Disney. What’s extra, the franchise very nicely might be returning to a theater close to you versus going direct-to-streaming.
In accordance with Selection, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are all confirmed to return in “Hocus Pocus 3,” which is formally within the works. Improvement started in 2023, however by locking the core trio down, it appears like issues are getting extra critical. Of be aware, the report states that the sequel “continues to be in early growth, with consideration for a theatrical launch given the viewers’s clear funding within the beloved franchise.”
For folks of a sure age, the unique “Hocus Pocus” is the best Halloween film of all time. It is develop into a full-blown generational traditional. In 2022, Disney was nonetheless very a lot doing the whole lot in its energy to draw subscribers to Disney+ in any respect prices to compete with Netflix within the streaming wars, as was the remainder of Hollywood with reference to their respective streaming ventures. However a lot has modified over the previous couple of years.
The “streaming in any respect prices” mentality has settled down. Whereas the 2025 field workplace was a significant disappointment, issues have improved significantly from the very down 12 months that was 2021, and studios like Disney are investing extra closely in theatrical releases, particularly with regard to franchise filmmaking. For that purpose, Disney has the chance to make a much-needed course correction with this franchise.
Hocus Pocus 3 might be a field workplace smash within the making
Releasing “Hocus Pocus 2” on Disney+ made sense on one hand, provided that the unique “Hocus Pocus” was a field workplace flop that turned a cult traditional. It is simple to neglect that on the time of the unique’s launch (in July, moderately perplexingly), it was a reasonably large disappointment, taking in lower than $50 million worldwide on a $28 million finances.
However cable tv helped cement it as a real traditional. That a lot was made clear primarily based on how nicely “Hocus Pocus 2” carried out on Disney+. Per Selection, the sequel “broke data on the Nielsen Prime 10 streaming charts, with 2.7 billion minutes seen in its opening weekend. The film additionally turned the most-watched authentic movie on Disney+ over its first three days of launch.”
We have seen lately that films which can be given theatrical releases are inclined to carry out even higher on streaming, even when they don’t seem to be outright hits in theaters. To that finish, the “Hocus Pocus” films each dominated the Disney+ charts over Halloween final 12 months. These films have endurance. Critics did not precisely fall in love with the sequel, however “Hocus Pocus 3” may place itself as an even bigger deal. Get extra of the unique stars again, and this might develop into a real legacy sequel occasion.
Disney has discovered the error of its methods. “Moana 2” was one in all three Disney films to make $1 billion in 2024. The identical occurred with “Lilo & Sew.” Each films had been initially made with Disney+ in thoughts. It is unlikely the studio goes to make the identical mistake once more. The upside is just too nice and the chance is comparatively minimal if they will hold the finances considerably in examine.
“Hocus Pocus 3” stays with out a launch date, however keep tuned.
