Just about everyone who knows me or who has followed TMSM over the years knows that I’m a Hocus Pocus super fan! It’s my must do movie every Fall. There have been rumors for YEARS about a sequel, but nothing ever materialized. Well, maybe with Disney+ that could change. Here’s an update from comicbook.com!
As the cult following of Hocus Pocus continues to grow, a new report from Collider claims that a sequel is finally moving forward for the streaming platform Disney+ from Workaholics writer Jen D’Angelo. The outlet also claims the writer is tasked with finding a way to bring back the characters portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in the 1993 original. The first film debuted in the same summer that Jurassic Park dominated the box office, making for fierce competition, in addition to it being quite early for audiences to be flocking to witness a family-friendly adventure that took place during Halloween.
Despite being an initial disappointment, the picture has grown immensely popular over the years. Regular airings on various Disney-owned networks aided that growth, with the company’s Freeform network making it a staple of their October lineup. The channel is so committed to the film that it has begun traditions of airing back-to-back-to-back showings on Halloween itself.
The initial script for the film was written by Mick Garris, depicting a group of teenagers who encounter a three resurrected witch sisters in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night. As the project evolved, the script and story was tweaked towards a younger audience, ultimately resulting in the PG-rated film that fans know and love today.
Some filmmakers have expressed their frustrations about a studio taking a concept they created and turning it into something unrecognizable, yet Garris has nothing by pleasant memories of the film and its status.
“It’s a very, very happy part of my resume that I’m proud of, and that probably more people know me from that, despite my move away from family filmmaking since then, than know me in our very limited slice of the pie that our genre occupies,” Garris previously revealed to ComicBook.com. “If I can be involved in it as a consultant or as a director or something like that [for a sequel], I would be glad to be involved.”
Garris isn’t the only one who would be willing to return to the series, as actor Doug Jones, who played Billy the zombie in the film, would also happily be involved.
“There was talk about doing a ’20 years later’ sequel that I would have been involved with,” Jones shared with Digital Spy. “I was actually approached and asked about that. I would love to reprise Billy Butcherson.”
Stay tuned for details on Hocus Pocus 2.
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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