Disney+ has begun development of a sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic comedy, Hocus Pocus, according to Variety.
What’s Happening:
- With writer and co-producer of Workaholics, Jen D’Angelo, on board to script, Disney+ has launched development of a sequel to Hocus Pocus.
- D’Angelo’s credits include serving as a writer-producer on the Fox sitcom LA to Vegas and the CBS sitcom Happy Together. She was also an associate producer on last year’s action-comedy Game Over, Man! on Netflix.
- Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, and starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as sisters who were cursed in 1963 in Salem, Massachusetts. The witches were inadvertently resurrected centuries later by a boy who had recently moved from California (dare we say, “Hollywood”) to Salem. When the witches come to the 20th century, they find that Halloween is now being celebrated as a holiday.
- As of yet, none of the original three actresses who played the sisters are attached to the sequel, but Disney is hopeful that will be involved.
- The original film was directed by Kenny Ortega, with a script by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert that was based on a story by Garris and David Kirschner.
- Hocus Pocus was not a blockbuster success at the Box Office, taking in only $39 million dollars worldwide when the movie had a $28 million budget. However, the movie has become a fan-favorite, with the film becoming more culturally relevant in recent years. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom debuted the Hocus Pocus Villain’s Spell-Tacular in 2015, and the film has become a staple to Freeform’s 31 Days of Halloween programming.
- Disney+ is the highly anticipated new streaming service set to launch on November 12th, with a slew of original content debuting with the launch, or announced for the near future, and you can sign-up today to experience it all!