The Sanderson Sisters are making their way back to the big screen.
Per Total Film, Hocus Pocus is headed back to theaters this October in celebration of the movie’s 30th anniversary. The movie will play in Regal and AMC theatres across the United States, as well as UK cinemas such as Vue, Cineworld, and Showcase.
Directed by Kenny Ortega, Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches originating from 1693 Salem, Massachusetts. In the movie, the Sanderson Sisters are brought back to life in 1993 and begin wreaking havoc on the town of Salem, all while a group of teenagers — Max (Omri Katz), Dani (Thora Birch), Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and Binx (Sean Murray) — tries to stop them.
Released in July 1993, Hocus Pocus initially received mixed reviews and was considered to be a box office bomb; however, it has since developed a cult following, largely because it has constantly aired on the Disney Channel throughout the month of October. To date, it has brought in approximately $45.4 million at the worldwide box office.
Hocus Pocus kickstarted a franchise for Disney
A sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, followed in September 2022. Directed by Anne Fletcher and released directly onto Disney+, the film saw Midler, Parker, Najimy, and Doug Jones all reprise their roles from the first movie, while Whitney Peak, Sam Richardson, Melissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham also starred.
Hocus Pocus 2 was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, and Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie, or Special.
In June 2023, Disney announced a third Hocus Pocus movie is in development. Fletcher is returning to direct, while Jen D’Angelo is writing the script.
Hocus Pocus returns to theaters on October 6, 2023. Both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are also currently available to stream on Disney+.
