Good news cult-classic Halloween film fans – the Sanderson sisters are reuniting a third time. Officially.
Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is confirmed to be in the works at Disney, with leading ladies Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy returning to star (and thank god). We'd known it was coming for a while now (last year, Midler even confirmed she’d read an early draft of the script, which she described as “brilliant.”), and SJP was quick to give an encouraging updated on late night television that there were "conversations" happening. But now that we have it all signed, sealed and (almost) delivered, here's what you need to know.
What's been happening so far?
Sarah Jessica Parker recently gave an encouraging update about the long-awaited Hocus Pocus 3 film during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live!. While Disney has remained mostly quiet since first announcing the sequel’s development in 2023, Parker confirmed that talks were ongoing.
“There’s nothing official yet, but we definitely want to do it,” Parker said. “We’ve had some conversations.”
Parker starred in the original 1993 Hocus Pocus alongside Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy as the mischievous Sanderson sisters, witches who come back to life on Halloween night. The trio reprised their roles for the wildly popular 2022 sequel, which broke records on Disney+ and the Nielsen streaming charts.
Najimy previously joked that time is of the essence if Disney plans to make a third instalment. “I haven’t seen a script yet, but I’ve heard whispers,” she said in 2024. “If they’re going to do it, they should hurry – because time is really flying!”
Screenwriter Jen D’Angelo, who wrote Hocus Pocus 2, has confirmed the third film is still in the works. Speaking after the writers' strike ended, she revealed that the team is still developing the story and exploring different directions.
“We’re deep in the idea phase,” D’Angelo explained. “There are so many new paths we could take. We barely scratched the surface with Hannah Waddingham’s character from the second film.”
She added that the creative team is eager to keep expanding the magical universe. “We want to take the Sanderson sisters on new adventures and introduce some fresh characters too.”
Anne Fletcher, who directed the second film, is also expected to return for the third movie.
When will it be released?
There's no official timeline being touted for the release of Hocus Pocus 3 just yet. But Variety reports that the film is still in early development, which would lead us to a likely 2027 release date.
