Credit: DisneyThe Sanderson Sisters are back and Disney fans couldn’t be happier.
Disney previously announced that the cult-classic Hocus Pocus (1993) would be getting a sequel with Bette Midler (Winnie), Kathy Najimy (Mary), and Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) all returning to reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters, the witches of Salem.
It’s been nearly two years since the original announcement from Disney that the movie would include not just a star-studded cast, but also a top-notch production team with scripts from Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics) and producers Lynn Harris (King Richard), executive producer Adam Shankman (Disney’s Disenchanted), and crew from the first installment, Ralph Winter (Hocus Pocus), and David Kirschner (Hocus Pocus), serving as executive producer.
Filming has been taking place in Northeast Rhode Island and while there hasn’t been much news to report, Bette Midler herself provided a major update this week!
The Sanderson sister shared on Twitter that after several months of work for what Disney fans hope will be a movie masterpiece, she had officially wrapped up filming.
THAT’S A WRAP!!!!
THAT’S A WRAP!!!! pic.twitter.com/TMoRZrr1i1
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) January 27, 2022
With filming coming to a close, this is another major step in the direction of the movie being completed and ready for fans to enjoy.
While there has not been an official release date, the expectation is that the film will debut on Disney+ in fall of 2022.
In addition to the Sanderson Sisters, we can also expect recent Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones) to be involved in an unknown capacity, and Doug Jones (The Shape of Water, What We Do in the Shadows) to be a part of the Hocus Pocus 2 cast as the undead zombie and Winnie’s ex-lover, Billy Butcherson.
According to a previous press release from Disney+, Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl, Molly’s Game) as Becca, Lilia Buckingham (Dirt, Crown Lake) as Cassie, and Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories, The Baker and the Beauty) as Izzy, are three young women in modern-day Salem who incite the wrath of the three child hungry witches, the beloved roles played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practicing witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow’s Eve.
Director Anne Fletcher had this to say about the upcoming Hocus Pocus sequel:
“Fans around the world have embraced these characters and have made this film a Halloween tradition whose popularity continues to grow, and how lucky am I to be back at Disney with these three extraordinarily talented ladies in the iconic roles they created, as well as our fabulous new additions to the cast?”
Are you excited for the Hocus Pocus sequel to be released? Let us know in the comments.