Hocus Pocus 2 has been a massive success for Disney in terms of viewership, even if audiences haven’t been quite as complimentary about the sequel as the classic original. While the movie boasted the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, along with Doug Jones back in the role of Billy Butcherson, there were some notable original cast members who did not make a comeback in the nostalgic follow-up. Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw played the trio of children who brought the Sandersons back to life in Hocus Pocus, and in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Katz said that a third Hocus Pocus movie could work even without the Sanderson sisters being involved.

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Many fans of the Hocus Pocus franchise were sad when they learned that none of the original child actors would be reprising their roles in the sequel. While this was also true of Jason Marsden, who voiced Binx the cat in the 1993 movie, it seems that all of the stars at one point or another have shared an interest in returning to the franchise if another movie comes around. As Katz explained, the film doesn’t even need to feature the witches to continue the franchise. He said:

“Who’s to say there has to be continuity in terms of the story? You can create any story. If they were to take the book and turn it into a screenplay, it doesn’t have to be the witches coming back, they can just do whatever they want, and people will be stoked to see it regardless. The witches are 30 years older, so we’ve got to get this done sooner than later. We can’t wait another 30 years. Sorry, it’s the truth! I’m sure Bette does not want to be doing this at age 98.”

Will There Be a Hocus Pocus 3?

     Walt Disney Pictures

Hocus Pocus 2 hit Disney+ at the end of September and instantly broke the record for the highest number of minutes viewed for a movie. Whether that will be enough for Disney to pursue another film is not yet known, but if Hocus Pocus 3 does go into development Bette Midler has already made it clear that, despite Omri Katz’s reservations, she would be more than willing to return as Winifred Sanderson one more time. She previously said:

Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are currently streaming on Disney+.

“I’m envious of other actors who have franchises, and I was hoping for a sequel to First Wives Club, but we never got that. After 30 years with no sequel to Hocus Pocus, I’ve always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once. The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I’m glad we got to do it. I’d love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing. If there was a third one, of course, I’d sign on, but I don’t know how. I can’t imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary, and our relationship. It’s good for women. We stick together through hell and high water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem!”