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After much fan speculation Disney announced today that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy indeed will reprise their roles as the delightfully wicked Sanderson Sisters in the live-action comedy Hocus Pocus 2, the spooky sequel to Disney’s 1993 Halloween cult classic “Hocus Pocus.” The film will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2022. Singer/actress Bette Midler returns as the infamous and iconic Winifred Sanderson, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy back as her sisters, to complete the trio of chaos as Sarah and Mary, respectively.
We’ve also gotten more insight into the plot of th film. In Hocus Pocus 2, three young women 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.
“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+ 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,” says executive producer Adam Shankman. “I am still grateful and proud to help shepherd this ingenious project as executive producer alongside producer Lynn Harris, whom I have loved and admired as a colleague and friend since she helped get me the job choreographing ‘Boogie Nights.’”
Hocus Pocus 2 will begin production this fall under the direction of Anne Fletcher, who is taking over directing responsibilities from her friend and colleague Adam Shankman, with Lynn Harris serving as producer. Shankman is currently in production on Disenchanted for the studio, which he is directing, but will remain on this project as an executive producer along with Ralph Winter and David Kirschner, and with Steven Haft as co-producer. According to the press release, Fletcher and Shankman first met in 1990 when they were both dancers for the Academy Awards broadcast. Shankman went on to hire her as his assistant choreographer, working together on over 100 different jobs.
“Now more than ever, people need to laugh. We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film,” says director Anne Fletcher. “I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special. This is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
