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Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy reveal if they'd do Hocus Pocus 3 after new sequel

Joey Nolfi
·3 min read

Hocus Pocus 2 doesn't boil and bubble into the pop culture cauldron until Friday, but we're already conjuring thoughts of a third entry in the beloved Disney series.

In an exclusive interview with EW, the Sanderson Sisters trio — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy — reveal their thoughts on potentially continuing the story beyond director Anne Fletcher's upcoming sequel.

"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," Midler says. "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!"

Najimy adds that she's grateful for the opportunity to film a sequel 29 years after the first film debuted in theaters before becoming an annual Halloween classic, and she'll "never say never" when it comes to doing more. However, she still thinks the way Fletcher's film ends means they've "pulled every story you could pull out of this" series.

Parker recalls kicking around an idea for a third film, but in a different format.

"Kathy had a good idea that the third one should be animated. That would be cool and a smart idea. It's fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation]," she explains. "Of course I'd be happy to have a conversation [for a third film], it just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!"

Hocus Pocus 2
Hocus Pocus 2

Disney 'Hocus Pocus 2' stars discuss 'Hocus Pocus 3' potential.

All three ladies tell EW they quickly signed on to do Hocus Pocus 2 after the studio expressed interest in filming the production for their Disney+ streaming service. The new film picks up three decades after Max (Omri Katz), Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and Dani (Thora Birch) inadvertently brought the Sanderson Sisters witches back from the dead to wreak havoc on modern-day Salem, when a new batch of teens (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham) again duel with the resurrected coven on Halloween night.

"They sent us story ideas, then Sarah, Bette, and I would have phone meetings with lots of snacks, and we'd talk over narratives and character arcs," Najimy recalls. "We were able to give them our two cents, and what the writer and studio came up with was difficult, because you can't take something that was so successful and stray too far from it. The first one had something delicious about it, but you also want to make something new. With a little bit of our input, the writer's input, and Disney's, we came up with something that's current and fun."

Hocus Pocus 2 premieres Friday on Disney+. Read EW's full preview with the cast.

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