Disney announced earlier this year that Hocus Pocus 3 is definitely happening, with Anne Fletcher (Hocus Pocus 2) returning to direct and Jen D’Angelo back to write the script.
But what’s the status on Hocus Pocus 3, now that we’re one year removed from the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2? D’Angelo provides a fresh update to Entertainment Weekly.
“We’re still in the story phase, we’re still working on it. We’ve been working on some ideas, and it’s been fun to dive back into that world and we have so many directions in which to go and so many new characters to explore,” D’Angelo tells the outlet. She continues, “We’ve only scratched the surface of Hannah Waddingham’s mother witch.”
Hannah Waddingham’s Mother Witch was introduced in a flashback sequence in Hocus Pocus 2, the witch who gifted the spell book to the Sanderson Sisters when they were kids.
D’Angelo notes later in the interview, “I’m hoping that we are able to explore every aspect of these stories and take these characters on a bunch of fun adventures. 3 is still very much in the early stages, we don’t really know what it is, but we’re exploring all options.”
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Hocus Pocus 2 was a massive hit for the Disney+ streaming service this past Halloween, setting streaming records and all but ensuring that a second sequel wouldn’t be far behind.
In an interview with THR last October, Hocus Pocus 2 producer Adam Shankman had teased the potential for follow-up projects, which could center on the sequel’s new characters. Hocus Pocus 2 introduced Whitney Peak as Becca, Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, and Lilia Buckingham as Cassie, a new group of sisters who come together to vanquish the Sandersons. It’s Becca who ultimately discovers she has her own bewitching powers.
Shankman told THR, “[Director] Anne [Fletcher] I think handled [Becca’s character arc] really, really beautifully. We went back and forth on how that was going to work, if it was going to work, forever, and Anne was just like, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And I think it’s great. And it creates a lot of excitement about potential spinoffs.”
It sounds like both sequels and spinoffs are on the table at this time. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy returned as the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus 2, and we assume they’d be back for the now-confirmed Hocus Pocus 3, at the very least.
Stay tuned for more on Hocus Pocus 3 as we learn it.
