Hocus Pocus 3 Can Make Up For The Second Movie's Biggest Mistake

The Sanderson Sisters are one step closer to getting back together, it seems. "Hocus Pocus 2" debuted in 2022 and delivered the sequel that oh so many '90s kids had been waiting nearly 30 years for. Ever since, there's been talk about "Hocus Pocus 3," which appears to still be happening at Disney. What's more, the franchise very well could be returning to a theater near you as opposed to going direct-to-streaming.

According to Variety, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are all confirmed to return in "Hocus Pocus 3," which is officially in the works. Development began in 2023, but by locking the core trio down, it sounds like things are getting more serious. Of note, the report states that the sequel "is still in early development, with consideration for a theatrical release given the audience's clear investment in the beloved franchise."

For people of a certain age, the original "Hocus Pocus" is the greatest Halloween movie of all time. It's become a full-blown generational classic. In 2022, Disney was still very much doing everything in its power to attract subscribers to Disney+ at all costs to compete with Netflix in the streaming wars, as was the rest of Hollywood in regards to their respective streaming ventures. But much has changed over the last few years.

The "streaming at all costs" mentality has settled down. While the 2025 box office was a major disappointment, things have improved greatly from the very down year that was 2021, and studios like Disney are investing more heavily in theatrical releases, especially with regard to franchise filmmaking. For that reason, Disney has the opportunity to make a much-needed course correction with this franchise.

Releasing "Hocus Pocus 2" on Disney+ made sense on one hand, given that the original "Hocus Pocus" was a box office flop that became a cult classic. It's easy to forget that at the time of the original's release (in July, rather perplexingly), it was a pretty big disappointment, taking in less than $50 million worldwide on a $28 million budget.

But cable television helped cement it as a true classic. That much was made clear based on how well "Hocus Pocus 2" performed on Disney+. Per Variety, the sequel "broke records on the Nielsen Top 10 streaming charts, with 2.7 billion minutes viewed in its opening weekend. The movie also became the most-watched original film on Disney+ over its first three days of release."

We've seen in recent years that movies that are given theatrical releases tend to perform even better on streaming, even if they aren't outright hits in theaters. To that end, the "Hocus Pocus" movies both dominated the Disney+ charts over Halloween last year. These movies have staying power. Critics didn't exactly fall in love with the sequel, but "Hocus Pocus 3" could position itself as a bigger deal. Get more of the original stars back, and this could become a true legacy sequel event.

Disney has learned the error of its ways. "Moana 2" was one of three Disney movies to make $1 billion in 2024. The same happened with "Lilo & Stitch." Both movies were originally made with Disney+ in mind. It's unlikely the studio is going to make the same mistake again. The upside is too great and the risk is relatively minimal if they can keep the budget somewhat in check.

"Hocus Pocus 3" remains without a release date, but stay tuned.