Disney+ orders Hocus Pocus 2
May 21, 2021
By Nik Roseveare
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters in the live-action comedy Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to Disney’s 1993 Halloween cult classic Hocus Pocus. The film will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2022.
Singer/actress Midler returns as Winifred Sanderson, with Parker and Najimy back as her sisters, Sarah and Mary, respectively. In Hocus Pocus 2, three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world.
Hocus Pocus 2 will begin production this autumn under the direction of Anne Fletcher, who is taking over directing responsibilities from her friend and colleague Adam Shankman, with Lynn Harris serving as producer.
Fletcher and Shankman first met in 1990 when they were both dancers for the Academy Awards broadcast. Shankman went on to hire her as his assistant choreographer, working together on over 100 different jobs. Fletcher’s first directing gig was in 2006 on Step Up, which Shankman produced.
“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,” says executive producer Adam 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. 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,” added Fletcher. “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.”