The Sanderson sisters may have been gone for what seems like 300 years, but Bette Midler recently confirmed that we won’t have to wait much longer for the Hocus Pocus fix we all crave. In a recent interview with the New York Fox affiliate Fox 5 WNYW, Midler, who portrays head-witch-in-charge Winifred Sanderson, confirmed that she and former co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy have been in talks for a sequel to the 1993 cult classic, which is particularly beloved among queer fans.
“They want to make a movie, they’ve asked all of us if we’re interested, and of course all of us said yes,” Midler said. “I’m game. I’m totally game.”
Entertainment news site Collider originally reported last October that Workaholics writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo had been hired to write the script for Hocus Pocus 2, which is reportedly in development for eventual streaming on Disney+.
But a followup to the original Hocus Pocus, a box-office flop which found a second life as a Disney channel Halloween staple, has been a long time in the making. Midler has personally been championing the cause since at least 2014, and a TV remake without the original stars attached was announced in 2017. The ever-outspoken star was not a fan, calling the idea “cheap,” and the movie never got off the ground.
Since it’s still in the early stages of development, Hocus Pocus 2 is still a ways off. In the same interview, however, Midler discussed an even more imminent reunion in the form of her annual Hulaween benefit party, which is being held virtually this year on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. EST. It’s being billed as a “Sanderson Sisters Takeover” and will feature Midler, Parker, and Najimy reprising their iconic roles to raise money for Midler’s nonprofit foundation, the New York Restoration Project, whose mission is to the greenery of New York City’s underserved neighborhoods.
“It was so bizarre because we fell into exactly the same relationships we had and the same style of behaving on screen as we had 27 years ago,” said Midler, regarding rehearsals for the event. “It was as if we’d been off for a weekend.”
Broadway World reported additional details of the program and its star-studded cast, which includes Meryl Streep, Billy Eichner, Adam Lambert, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Todrick Hall. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark will be hosting the “documentary-style” show, which will go deep into Sanderson sisters lore. Midler also noted that the one-hour event will incorporate a costume party judged by Michael Kors, though she emphasized that she didn’t want to “stress people out” at the idea of dressing for the occasion.
“It’s just Halloween,” said Midler. “It’s a time for the kids, it’s a time to celebrate the silly Sanderson sisters and pass the time, be convivial, have a drink.”
And if you do drink, you can even accompany your evening with a can (or several!) of limited edition Hocus Pocus wine. Halloween may look very different this year, but we at least have this.
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