Last Halloween’s streaming Hocus Pocus reunion might have failed to, uh, put a spell on viewers (at least it was for a good cause?), but the long-awaited sequel to Disney’s beloved spooky classic finally has a release date for its Disney+ debut. And it’s official: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will return as the witchy Sanderson sisters.
Kenny Ortega’s Hocus Pocus was released in 1993 but has only seen its popularity increase over the years; it’s now a must-watch annual title for most anyone who counts the days until October arrives. A Disney+ press release doesn’t divulge much about the plot of Hocus Pocus 2, but it sounds kind of a lot like the original, because why mess with a proven crowd-pleaser? Here’s the logline: “In Hocus Pocus 2, three young women 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.”
Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses) will direct, with Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner) — who was once slated to direct but is now working on yet another Disney sequel, Disenchanted — among the executive producers. “Now more than ever, people need to laugh. 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,” Fletcher said in the Disney+ release. “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.”
There’s no word on who else might join the cast (paging Doug Jones!), but the O.G. Sandersons all took to social media to share their delight at this long-in-the-works project taking a big step forward, using catchphrases fans will associate with their characters. Midler shared the news with “Sistaaaahs! It’s been 300 years… But we’re BACK!”, while Parker said “Yep. I’m ready. To run. Amok, amok, amok, amok.” Najimy, of course, went with “The people have spoken: I smell children…again.”
Hocus Pocus 2 is slated for a spring 022 release, and though Disney+ didn’t get any more specific than that, we can’t help but assume it’ll arrive in time for Halloween.
It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus 2️⃣
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the delightfully wicked Sanderson Sisters in #HocusPocus2, coming fall 2022 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gr3B0Z1JcA
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 20, 2021