Hocus Pocus 3 Could Finally See Sanderson Sisters Get “Revenge” on Salem, According to Writer

The Sanderson Sisters are returning for another adventure at some point in the not-too-distant future, and a new movie could be just what they need to get revenge on the town of Salem. Hocus Pocus 2 arrived on Disney+ last fall and became the streamer’s biggest ever original film, so it should come as no surprise that the beloved property has a third movie in the works. The ending of Hocus Pocus 2 left Winifred Sanderson and her two sisters in a place that doesn’t feel like it warrants another story, but the film’s writer thinks the nature of the characters allows for them to be swayed by things as simple as revenge.

Speaking to Collider about the Hocus Pocus films, screenwriter Jen D’Angelo said that getting back at Salem is what Winifred has always wanted, and that could get all of the Sanderson Sisters back on their brooms for a third story.

“With the Sanderson sisters, the thing that makes them so fun is that they really are like herding cats,” D’Angelo explained. “So I’m like, ‘Yes, Winifred learned a very valuable lesson, she loves her sisters more than anything in the world,’ but she will also just immediately get distracted by whatever’s put in front of her. So if you dangle the carrot of a potential revenge against Salem, which she has always wanted, she might have a backslide where she gets singularly focused on the wrong goal again.”

D’Angelo also opened up about the challenges of making a sequel to a movie as beloved as Hocus Pocus, and how rewarding it was to have found success.

“With Hocus Pocus 2, you had the challenge of revisiting these beloved characters and wanting to really make it worthwhile, this sequel,” said the writer. “And I feel like we had so much fun making it, it turned out so well, I’m so thrilled and honored and humbled by all the response that it got.”

The Witch Mother in Hocus Pocus 3

The second installment of the Hocus Pocus series not only saw the Sanderson Sisters return to Salem, but it also introduced the witch that gave them their powers. Hannah Waddingham’s character was only a small part of the story in Hocus Pocus 2, but her presence set the stage for a lot of new story and lore. 

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, D’Angelo shared that there’s a lot more to learn about the Witch Mother, something that could potentially happen in Hocus Pocus 3.

“We’re still in the story phase, we’re still working on it,” D’Angelo said of the Hocus Pocus 3 script. “We’ve been working on some ideas, and it’s been fun to dive back into that world and we have so many directions in which to go and so many new characters to explore. We’ve only scratched the surface of Hannah Waddingham’s mother witch.”

What do you hope to see from Hocus Pocus 3? Let us know in the comments!