Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy Address if They're Part of Hocus Pocus Sequel

Recent years have seen 1993's Hocus Pocus be lovingly embraced by a new generation, with its new-found popularity resulting in reports that a sequel would be developed by Disney+, and while original actresses Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy are still passionate about the film and open to a return, the pair says reprising their roles would be dependent on the script and their schedules. Midler and Najimy revealed the news to Entertainment Tonight and, while initial reports claimed the new film aimed to feature the return of their Sanderson sisters, neither Midler nor Najimy have been in direct talks about the project's possible future.

"Oh my goodness me. Oh I hope they get to me before I'm a corpse," Midler joked with the outlet at her Hulaween event. "We wanna fly again. I hope Disney+ is a big success and I hope we get to do it, because [Winifred Sanderson] is, of course, one of my favorite characters."

The film originally earned an underwhelming reception, as it debuted in theaters the same summer as Jurassic Park, but subsequent broadcasts on various Disney-owned channels over the years has made it a staple of the spooky season.

"I mean she's, in the zeitgeist," the actress admitted. "I have met people ⁠— I've met grownup people, like 40-year-olds, 50-year-olds ⁠— who say, 'Oh I remember that! Hocus Pocus! I was brought up on that.' It's so mortifying 'cause I still look 35."

She added, "I can't wait to read the script. We're gonna see what happens."

Najimy, meanwhile, shares a similar enthusiasm but notes that the film's development process and her own schedule would be the determining factors of her return.

"I heard about it online the same time as [everyone else]," Najimy pointed out. "But here's the honest answer: Sarah [Jessica Parker] and Bette and I all have a million projects and things that we're into, so I don't know if they're gonna offer us [roles]. I don't know if the worlds are going to collide so that we could all three do it at the same time."

The original film saw a group of teens accidentally resurrect the villainous Sanderson sisters hundreds of years after they were killed for being witches, allowing them to wreak havoc on Halloween night. An official sequel was released last year as a novel, though it's unclear if the events of that story will impact the script for the new film.

If things don't come together for the three actresses to return as stars, Najimy pointed out that she wouldn't mind taking a smaller part in the production.

"I'm happy that it's happening, because the fans are really rabid and they really want it," Najimy noted. "[And] if we're not all available to star in it, I think it would be so great to do a cameo. I think that'd be really fun."

Stay tuned for details on the Hocus Pocus sequel.

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