Hocus Pocus 3 Is Officially in the Works

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Lock up your children, because the Sanderson Sisters are back.

It’s official: a third Hocus Pocus movie is in the works! TopMob News has confirmed that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are all set to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters and bring more magical mayhem to the screen.

Even though the second movie in the scary series was released directly on streaming in 2022, fans are hoping the third one will be shown in theaters.

Fans were thrilled in 2023 when Sean Bailey, then President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, announced a third movie was in the works. There was some uncertainty about the project after he left the company, but Bette recently shared encouraging news.

She explained that she received a script with many brilliant parts, which initially made her very enthusiastic. Now, they’re working through the practical details – like figuring out the project’s scope, location, and budget – to bring it to life, as she shared with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live.

The 80-year-old actress had said she’d be glad to reprise her role as Winifred Sanderson – a character she first played in the 1993 film – but only if the story was suitably wicked for her character.

The actress, who starred in First Wives Club, said in September 2023 that she’d be thrilled to revisit a beloved role in a franchise. She specifically mentioned she’d definitely be on board for a third First Wives Club movie if one were made, although she wasn’t sure what the plot could be. She expressed her fondness for her character and the dynamic between Winifred, Sarah, and Mary.

She explained that women support each other through thick and thin, but also aren’t afraid to shake things up – and she noted that not many people can create as much excitement as women can!

Plus, Sarah revealed that their other weird sister had a spellbinding concept for a third edition. 

Kristin Davis said Kathy Najimy had a great suggestion that the third movie should be animated. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Davis added that she’s open to discussing it, but it ultimately depends on what Kathy Najimy and Bette Midler are interested in.

Details about Hocus Pocus 3 are still limited, and it’s unclear if Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham will be back for the sequel. However, the movie promises another fun and lively night for viewers.

Let’s dive in! It’s time to uncover the most magical secrets from the original Hocus Pocus.

Originally titled Halloween House, the movie underwent significant changes over eight years and with contributions from around eleven writers. It evolved into a less frightening, more family-friendly film, prompting a title change to Hocus Pocus.

Filming began in Salem in November, taking advantage of the autumn leaves, but later moved to Los Angeles sound stages. While the fall scenery was beautiful, it didn’t lend itself well to on-set decorations.

Tobias Jelinek, who played Jay in the series, shared with TopMob News that filming in Salem around Christmastime presented a unique challenge. The production team had to compensate residents to temporarily remove their Christmas decorations so they could set up the Halloween scenes.

As shared by Doug Jones, who played Billy Butcherson, Bette Midler reportedly insisted on a specific clause in her contract for the movie: her feet had to be visible in at least one shot.

He claimed he heard a surprising story: Bette Midler apparently included a clause in her movie contracts demanding a shot of her shoes and feet walking somewhere in the film. He used the famous ‘I Put a Spell on You’ scene as an example.

There are two shots in the party scene. The first shows her walking towards the camera as she enters the room. The second is a very brief shot of her feet moving across the stage. It might seem like an unnecessary clip, but it was actually required by the contract.

Okay, so you know Dani in Hocus Pocus? She was totally head-over-heels for Binx the cat in the movie, but here’s a fun fact: Thora Birch, the actress who played Dani, wasn’t quite as obsessed with the actual cat on set! It’s always interesting to see how on-screen chemistry differs from real life, right? As someone who’s been around a lot of sets, I can tell you that happens more often than you think!

Okay, so it was insane. They had seven REAL cats on set, which was already a lot, but then TWO robotic ones?! And get this – they literally pointed at a mark on a lamppost and acted like that was Binx! Birch TopMob News said it, and honestly, every day was a surprise. And please, don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually not even a cat person – I’m just completely obsessed with everything about this movie!

Sarah Birch was a clear fan of the actor who played Thackery Binx, Sean Murray, who now stars on NCIS. Despite having limited screen time, Murray remained a popular ’90s heartthrob. Birch confessed to having a bit of a crush on him while filming, describing him as “dreamy” and “cute!”

Birch wasn’t the only one on set with a crush on someone. Amanda Shepherd, who played Emily, Binx’s sister, became friends with Elijah Wood after she wandered around the Disney studio lot.

I was watching some boys play basketball, and I realized I didn’t know how to play. That’s when I saw Elijah Wood, and I immediately developed a crush on him – he was filming ‘Huckleberry Finn’ at the time. We became friends, and I had a really big, silly crush on him after that.

Although Murray played the role of Thackery Binx on screen, Jason Marsden actually provided the voice for the character, both when he appeared as a human and as a cat.

Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison, shared with TopMob News that the young actors on set felt like a close-knit family. She described them as simply having fun together as friends, always goofing around and genuinely liking each other. She remembers it as a very sweet and innocent time, noting they were too young to pull pranks, but full of affection for one another.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE it! They didn’t just pretend – the crew actually built the Sanderson sisters’ cottage, the REAL cottage, and the graveyard too! It’s so amazing, and apparently that’s what Kathy Najimy (aka Mary Sanderson!) remembered most about making the movie, along with a trip the cast all took to Salem! I’m seriously obsessed with the detail they put into everything.

She described the set as the biggest and most detailed she’d ever seen. It felt like a dream come true, a truly magical experience – she even imagined she could hear Tinkerbell flying around!

There’s a popular story that Leonardo DiCaprio almost played the main character, Max, in the movie. And there’s actually some truth to it.

Director Kenny Ortega told TopMob News that while Johnny Depp wasn’t quite the ‘Max’ they were looking for, Depp insisted on meeting with him anyway. Ortega was very glad he did. ‘I was grateful for the chance to meet him at that point in his career,’ Ortega said. ‘It was right before he starred in films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy’s Life. I really cherish having met him and him taking the time to come in.’

Omri Katz ultimately got the part, and Ortega expressed her relief, saying she was thankful they found him and that he was wonderful in the movie.

The actors who played the bullies, Ernie (Larry Bagby), nicknamed “Ice,” and Jay Jelinek, were just as friendly with each other behind the scenes as their characters were antagonistic on screen.

“I was 15, so for the first month of so, my mom had to come with me. He turned 18 while we were filming, so we convinced my mom to let him sign as my guardian,” Jelinek revealed.

During the filming of the movie, Ice-T was legally responsible for Jay. Jelinek also shared that they were both young and enjoyed spending their daily allowance. He also revealed that Hocus Pocus was actually his very first audition – how awesome is that!

Okay, so get this – poor Isaac Bagby actually had to shave the letters ‘ICE’ into the back of his head! Can you imagine? It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park to maintain, let me tell you. It must have been such a hassle for him back then, but honestly, it was kind of iconic, right?

He remembered going to church with his parents and trying to hide something by wearing his hat backwards. But hats aren’t allowed in church, and people noticed. He said everyone was shocked and started gossiping, wondering if he’d gotten into trouble or joined a gang.

During filming, both actors, Sean Bagby and Max Jelinek, were impressed with Sarah Jessica Parker, even jokingly calling the Sanderson Sisters “ugly chicks” in one scene. Jelinek shared that Bagby had a significant crush on her, a feeling Bagby confirmed he still has.

Jelinek was really surprised to learn that Sarah Jessica Parker dated Matthew Broderick – Ferris Bueller’s boyfriend in the movie! She remembered thinking Parker was incredibly cool and had a really effortless, bohemian style.

The iconic flying scenes with Winifred, Mary, and Sarah weren’t created with special effects! According to the visual effects supervisor, the witches appeared to fly thanks to a team of four people physically moving them – no CGI was used at all.

And Jones revealed that one Sanderson sister really took to the experience.

According to him, Sarah Jessica Parker was the only one who truly enjoyed the experience. He admitted he didn’t understand the mechanics of how she was secured – whatever it was, it made her comfortable and happy. He noted that, unlike most people, she actually loved flying.

Remember when Winifred’s former lover, Billy Butcherson, cuts his mouth open and moths fly out? Those weren’t special effects – real moths were used! It was a tricky shot to film, especially considering how far CGI technology has come since then.

It was a challenging scene because the moths wouldn’t fly if they got wet. Since my mouth is full of saliva, we had to keep them dry. We used a dental dam and a latex covering, and the crew carefully placed the moths using tweezers. Everything had to be done right before filming started so I could realistically tear open the stitches, cough up the dust and moths, and have them fly out. That’s how we made it work,” explained Jones, the actor from the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water.

Jones’ audition for the role of Billy was unique. He was asked to come to a dance studio where he worked with the choreographer, known for her incredible work, to demonstrate his physical abilities.

Jones explained that the director told him, ‘You’ll wake up in that spot, walk over here, and then… action!’ He had to improvise everything on the spot. The director loved his performance, laughing uncontrollably, and Jones landed the role on the way home.

You know, when I first saw Billy with all that hair and makeup designed to look mummified, I figured it would be a really lengthy process. But honestly, I was really surprised at how quickly the team managed to pull it all off! It was much faster than I anticipated.

Honestly, the whole prosthetic process was surprisingly fast! They really streamlined it down to just applying one piece, and the glue set pretty quickly. We’re talking an hour and a half total – which, believe me, is nothing when you’re dealing with prosthetics. I’ve spent longer in the makeup chair just getting beauty makeup done! I definitely lucked out on that one.

After playing Max Dennison, a Grateful Dead fan, in the movie, actor Ethan Katz actually spent three or four years following the band on tour in real life. He revealed that the nickname bullies gave his character, “Hollywood,” was actually a nickname he earned among Deadheads. He explained to TopMob News that people would often greet him with, “What’s up, Hollywood?!”

And no, he didn’t keep Max’s tie-dye shirt as a souvenir. “I was already making my own,” he explained.

The three young actors from the movie—Katz, Shaw, and Birch—have stayed good friends over the years, particularly after getting together again in 2013 to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary at the Walt Disney Studio.

Shaw explained that they realized how much they enjoyed each other’s company and wondered why they hadn’t been spending time together. They had a wonderful dinner date one Halloween, and they’ve remained close ever since.

I was so relieved when the bullies stayed in the movie! I heard the producers almost cut them, but thankfully, after test screenings, they realized how important Ice and Jay’s reactions were to the story. Seeing how audiences responded to those two characters really made them reconsider, and I’m glad they did – the contrast makes everything so much more impactful.

Bagby explained that during development, they initially removed our characters, but test audiences didn’t respond well. Kenny told them, ‘Something about you guys – maybe it was the idea of the bullies being locked up, which the kids could understand.’ He thought it provided a bit of humor to balance out the scarier parts of the story.

During filming, Bagby often recorded extra footage with his own camera. However, one of the actors didn’t appreciate being filmed during their downtime.

Jelinek recalls a memorable incident involving Bette Midler and a camcorder. Larry unexpectedly started filming near where Midler was, and she became visibly upset. Jelinek described it as a situation similar to being caught by paparazzi before the days of TMZ, and definitely ‘not cool’.

Bagby added, “It wasn’t pleasant. You don’t want Bette looking at you.”

Even though Bagby had a brief, public encounter with Bette Midler, he mentioned that her singing created a relaxed atmosphere for everyone on set.

Bagby shared a story Thora told her about a cherished memory from filming a movie with flying scenes. Between shots, Bette Davis unexpectedly began singing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings,’ which Thora found incredibly calming. Bagby added that being suspended on those rigs all day must have been challenging, especially since the actors did all their own stunts before modern technology could create those effects.

22. While Birch and Shepherd were the two youngest actors on the cast, they never became friends.

I’ll be honest, I was initially intimidated by her. She was incredibly confident and had a lot of experience. She’d come into the makeup room and confidently say she could do her own makeup, and that was a little daunting. Despite that, I really liked her and was actually quite impressed by her.

Jelinek shared that he originally tried out for a different role, but the producers later decided to have him play a different character.

I originally auditioned for the role of Max, but when I walked in with my long hair, they suggested I try out for Jay instead.

Although the actors generally followed the script, Jones admitted to changing one line during the filming of a particular scene.

The initial script had my character seriously injuring his mouth, spitting up dust and moths, and then yelling an offensive word at Bette Midler. I realized this didn’t fit the tone of a Disney movie, and I wanted to show the audience I was a positive role model. So, I asked if I could change the line to something more playful – the insults you actually hear in the film: ‘Wench! Trollop! You buck-toothed, mop-riding firefly from hell!’

Interestingly, even though Hocus Pocus is a Halloween film, it first came out in July of 1993. It wasn’t a huge success in theaters when it was first released.

I was definitely disappointed the movie didn’t have a stronger start, but it came out in July, and I was still new to directing at the time. I figured maybe the studio knew something I didn’t. But then I realized, we made a Halloween movie! And nothing is more popular during this holiday than Hocus Pocus!

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2026-05-06 22:49