With us now in the midst of October, the Halloween spirit and tendency for all things spooky is beginning to once again rise from the dead. As such, there are certain TV specials and movies that suddenly become must see TV in order to truly feel the spirit of Halloween. Chief among them is the 1993 classic comedy Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. This iconic 90's romp plays annually around this time, with many people marking their calendars to ensure they catch an airing before October 31st. Because Hocus Pocus is still so popular more than 20 years later, many have been wondering: are they ever going to make a sequel?
Sarah Jessica Parker, who played everyone's favorite sultry witch in Hocus Pocus, recently did an appearance on her buddy Andy Cohen's late night show Watch What Happens: Live. While publicizing her upcoming HBO dark comedy Divorce, Parker was asked if a Hocus Pocus sequel was in the cards. She said the following:
I would love that. I think we've all been fairly vocal about being very keen but that hasn't created any groundswell of movement.
Well, there we go. The three Sanderson Sisters seem to be down to fly another day. But it looks like the House of Mouse isn't exactly rushing to produce a long awaited sequel.
It's actually quite surprising that there hasn't been a Hocus Pocus sequel yet. While the film opened to modest success at the box office in 1993, it has since become a true cult classic. Generations of fans tune in to annual airings of the film, and the dialogue is all quotable to this day. Considering how much of a cultural icon Hocus Pocus has become over the years, it would probably behoove Disney to make another one while it's still plausible for the cast members to reassemble. I can't imagine Hocus Pocus 2 not making buckets of money at the box office with an October release, and it's also plausible that Disney could up the price of airing the original movie on TV, making even more money in the process.
The cast of Hocus Pocus have only continued growing growing their star power since 1993. Bette Midler is a living legend who is returning to Broadway this year in Hello, Dolly!, so she clearly has the stamina and vocal prowess to lead the cast once more. Additionally, Sarah Jessica Parker has become a massive star due to her long run on Sex and the City, and Kathy Najimy has continued her career of chewing the scenery in popular movies. Additionally, Thora Birch gained notoriety as an adult actress through American Beauty and Vanissa Shaw was recently seen in Showtime's Ray Donovan. The only problem would be Omri Katz aka Max who retired from acting in the early 2000's.
Are you ready for a Hocus Pocus sequel? Or is it perfect the way it is? Sound off in the comments below.
