Disney has announced plans to release a sequel to the 1993 cult Halloween-themed hit Hocus Pocus.
The sequel, coming to Disney+ in 2022, will feature Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprising their roles as the Sanderson Sisters.
According to a release, the plot of Hocus Pocus 2 will feature “three young women [who] accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern-day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world”.
Midler, who played Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson in the original film, posted the news on Twitter, writing, “Sistaaaahs! It’s been 300 years … But we’re BACK!”
Hocus Pocus 2 will be directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses), taking over for Adam Shankman, and begins production this fall.
“As heartbroken as I am that I won’t be able to direct my friends Bette, Sarah Jessica and Kathy in what is sure to be nothing short of a major event for Disney+ due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t be more pleased to be handing over the reins to Anne, who has brought so much laughter and joy into people’s lives with her previous work,” Shankman said in a statement.
“I am still grateful and proud to help shepherd this ingenious project as executive producer alongside producer Lynn Harris, whom I have loved and admired as a colleague and friend since she helped get me the job choreographing Boogie Nights.”
“Now more than ever, people need to laugh,” said Fletcher in a statement. “We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film.
“I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special. This is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Disney had previously revealed plans for a follow-up movie in 2019 in hopes that that Midler, Parker and Najimy would return, but the main cast had not formally cemented their participation until now, according to Variety.
