The Black Flame Candle must have been lit, because the Sanderson sisters are officially returning. Nearly three decades after first appearing as Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson — and after months of speculation — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are said to be returning for Hocus Pocus 2, the upcoming sequel to the original 1993 Halloween cult classic.
The exciting news came from Midler herself during a recent interview with Fox 5 New York’s Good Day New York. Addressing the sequel, according to ET Canada, Midler revealed that those working behind the scenes on the film have “asked us if we were interested” in reprising their roles, “and of course all of us said yes.” Midler explained that she’s “game, I’m totally game” to return as Winifred, the main antagonist of the 1993 film who put a spell on viewers.
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Hocus Pocus made its theatrical debut back in 1993, spinning the tale of three witches who return to Salem after having been burned at the stake 300 years earlier. While the film wasn’t a critical or commercial success, in the years that have followed, it has become a cult classic that has boasted numerous calls from fans for a sequel. Although rumors of a sequel have sprung up now and then, it wasn’t until October 2019 that one was confirmed to be in the works at Disney+. The sequel is set to be directed by Adam Shankman, with Workaholics writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo writing the script.
While fans may have a while to wait for the sequel, they won’t have to wait very long to see Midler, Parker and Najimy back in action as the Sanderson sisters. The trio are set to reunite at a virtual, one-night-only documentary-style event called In Search Of The Sanderson Sisters, which is part of the New York Restoration Project’s virtual Halloween fundraising event called Hulaween. Set to take place on Oct. 30, Midler has teased the virtual event on social media, sharing a photo of herself and the two other actresses back in costume. Speaking of the reunion, Midler said it was “bizarre” to revisit those characters after so many years.
“It was so bizarre to have been these characters 27 years ago,” she said. “And to put all that gear on … it was so bizarre because we fell into exactly the same relationship we had and the same style of behaving on screen that we had 27 years ago. As if we had been off for a weekend!”
Hocus Pocus 2 does not yet have a premiere date. It will release on Disney+. The original Hocus Pocus is currently available for streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.
