Because nostlagia has proven to popular and profitable in entertainment, it seems like everybody's trying to get in on the action. As such, we've seen a ton of popular movies and TV shows given new life, such as Roseanne, Blade Runner, and even the Halloween franchise. One potential project that has been tossed around is a Hocus Pocus sequel, which should delight any self respecting 90's kid. One original actor has voiced his hope that he'll be able to reprise his role: Doug Jones aka Billy Batson. When asked, the Shape of Water actor said:
There was talk about doing a '20 years later' sequel that I would have been involved with. I was actually approached and asked about that. I would love to reprise Billy Butcherson.
That's one actor down. Now let's get those trio of witches on the phone.
Doug Jones' interest in a Hocus Pocus sequel is an exciting development, and gives hope that a proper follow up could happen one day. Hocus Pocus is one of the most iconic Halloween movies of all time, and one that really holds up in the decades since its release. It's remained such a mainstay of pop culture that Freeform regularly airs it during the month of October. Because there are now entire generations of fans, a sequel has the potential to make major money for Disney.
Of course, there have been a few bumps in the road. From Doug Jones' comments, you can tell that Hocus Pocus 2 is a conversation that has happened before, although it never came to fruition. The most recent report coming from Disney revealed that a new sequel was being developed, a TV movie that wouldn't star the iconic trio of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. This was met with a pretty significant backlash, with Midler herself throwing shade at the potential movie.
If Disney is able to restructure and craft a story with the OG Sanderson Sisters, then it would be a different story. Those same angry fans would be psyched for a potential sequel, and so would Doug Jones. During his conversation with Digital Spy, Jones went on to say how he's just waiting for a call from Disney to once again play the undead underdog Billy Batson.
It's not off the table. The news article that I read about this TV movie sounds like... I'm not sure if it's a reboot or if it is that '20 years later' sequel. It was grey about what the storyline was. So I'm just going to keep my knees bent and be ready in case they call.
While Doug Jones seems eager to jump back into Hocus Pocus in any capacity, let's hope that the rest of the original cast joins them. The House of Mouse could even take it a step further and bring back Thora Birch to play Dani. Honestly, take my money at that point.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on Hocus Pocus' possible sequel as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
