Disney has officially announced that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are set to reprise their roles as the delightfully wicked Sanderson Sisters for Hocus Pocus 2.
The sequel to the 1993 Halloween cult classic is being directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal), who is taking over from the previously announced Adam Shankman (Hairspray). Shankman – currently in production on another long-awaited Disney sequel Disenchanted – remains on board as an executive producer.
“As heartbroken as I am that I won’t be able to direct my friends Bette, Sarah Jessica and Kathy in what is sure to be nothing short of a major event for Disney+ due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t be more pleased to be handing over the reins to Anne, who has brought so much laughter and joy into people’s lives with her previous work,” states Shankman. “I am still grateful and proud to help shepherd this ingenious project as executive producer alongside producer Lynn Harris, whom I have loved and admired as a colleague and friend since she helped get me the job choreographing Boogie Nights.”
“Now more than ever, people need to laugh,” adds Fletcher. “We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film. I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special. This is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
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Hocus Pocus 2 will see Midler, Parker and Najimy returning as Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson as they are accidentally brought back to modern day Salem by three young women, who must then figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world.
Hocus Pocus 2 will premiere on Disney+ in 2022.