'Hocus Pocus' sequel': Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy to officially reunite
May 21, 2021
Washington [US], May 21 : The fans of 1993 fantasy-comedy 'Hocus Pocus' are in for a treat as its star cast Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy aka 'The Sanderson sisters' are set to reprise their roles in 'Hocus Pocus 2,' a sequel to the much-loved Disney classic.
According to Variety, Disney initially revealed plans for a follow-up film in 2019 with the hopes that the trio of actors would return, but Midler, Parker and Najimy hadn't formally confirmed their participation until now. Production is expected to begin this fall with 'Hocus Pocus 2' set to debut on Disney Plus sometime in 2022.
Midler celebrated the news on Twitter, writing, "Sistaaaahs! It's been 300 years... But we're BACK!"
Owing to scheduling conflicts, original filmmaker Adam Shankman will no longer direct the movie. However, he will remain on the project as an executive producer as he shifts his attention to directing 'Disenchanted,' a sequel to the 2007 fairytale comedy 'Enchanted' with Amy Adams, for the studio.
As reported by Variety, 'The Proposal" and '27 Dresses,' director Anne Fletcher will take over directing duties.
Fletcher and Shankman go way back, having first met in 1990 when they were both dancers for the Oscars telecast. Shankman later hired Fletcher as his assistant choreographer and have partnered on more than 100 different projects. He later produced her feature directorial debut, the 2006 dance film 'Step Up' starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan.
"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 Plus 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.
Lynn Harris will also produce the film, with Steven Haft serving as co-producer. Ralph Winter will be taking care as the executive producer.
The plot of ' Hocus Pocus' chronicles Midler, Parker and Najimy as they played a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1963. The fearsome threesome is inadvertently resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem. As they attempt to acclimate to the 20th century, they are horrified to discover that Halloween has become a holiday.
Variety unveiled that Disney has no plans to follow the same storyline for the follow-up. The sequel centres on 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.
