‘Hocus Pocus 2’: Will There Be a ‘Hocus Pocus 3’

The Black Flame Candle may have burned out a second time, but could the Sanderson sisters rise again for Hocus Pocus 3? Following the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+, many fans are hoping to see the Sanderson Sisters back in action. Unfortunately for fans, at the time of writing, there are currently no plans for a third Hocus Pocus film, though fans know that anything is possible – after all, it was nearly a 30 year wait until the Sanderson sisters were resurrected for a second time. And while Disney has not indicated a possible interest in a third installment, there are plenty of clues hinting at the possibility of Hocus Pocus 3.

Along with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all telling Entertainment Weekly that they would be willing to return as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, viewers who stuck around as the end credits rolled know that bringing the Sanderson Sisters back isn’t out of the cards. A post-credits scene set inside Gilbert’s Olde Salem Magic Shoppe showed Cobweb the cat approaching a shelf in the store, the former home of the Sanderson Sisters, and sitting next to a box labeled, “B.F. CANDLE #2,” suggesting that Sam Richardson’s character Gilbert made not one, but two duplicates of the Black Flame Candle that is capable of resurrecting the Sanderson Sisters. The scene hinted that there is more story to be told and left open the possibility of Hocus Pocus 3.

If Hocus Pocus 3 were to come to fruition, it seems it may look a little different than the first three films, though. In the same interview where they said they would be happy to return, Midler, Park, and Najimy also seemed to indicate that the Sanderson Sisters’ story has officially concluded, with Hocus Pocus 2 ending with Winifred performing the Magicæ Maxima spell, which in turn took away what she loved most – her sisters. In turn, Becca, at Winifred’s request, performed a spell that sent her to her grave and reunited her with her sisters. Najimy explained that with the way Fletcher’s sequel ends, it seems they’ve “pulled every story you could pull out of this,” with Midler adding, “I can’t imagine what the story would be” in a third movie.

While it seems unlikely that the Sanderson Sisters will ever grace the screen again, it’s completely plausible that a new generation of witches could be the focus of a new installment. Hocus Pocus 2 introduced fans to a new coven of witches led by Becca and her friends, Izzy and Cassie. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, star Whitney Peak said, “It’s an open-ended movie. So much could happen next. Both extremes, too. If there is a next movie, we could be our coven, much older,” though Belissa Escobedo said, “I think you can never fully get rid of the Sanderson Sisters,” with Peak adding, “They can always come back. It would be hard to create a third movie without the Sanderson Sisters, because it’s their movie. They are Hocus Pocus.”

There are a few other possibilities to expand the Hocus Pocus film series. Parker previously shared that her co-star Najimy “had a good idea that the third one should be animated. That would be cool and a smart idea. It’s fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation].” Lilia Buckingham, who starred as Cassie, also suggested that a third film could focus on Hannah Waddingham’s character, Mother Witch, who gifts a young Winifred with her Book of Spells.