While last year’s Hocus Pocus 2 brought back original Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, it also introduced audiences to new characters, such as Sam Richardson’s Gilbert. A third film in the series was confirmed just earlier this month, though there are many unknown factors about what this upcoming adventure would explore, but Richardson recently confirmed his interest in bringing back Gilbert. Between the current writers’ strike and potential actors’ strikes on the horizon, we shouldn’t expect substantial momentum on the project anytime soon. Hocus Pocus 3 doesn’t currently have a release date.
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When asked by TheWrap about whether Gilbert will be returning for the third film, Richardson revealed, “I certainly hope so, I had such a great time playing Gilbert in Hocus Pocus 2. I’d go and play on that set any day of the week. You just tell me, I’ll be there.”
In the original Hocus Pocus, the evil Sanderson sisters were resurrected when a virgin inadvertently lit the Black Flame Candle. In the sequel, Gilbert intentionally recreated the candle to bring the sisters back, having witnessed their magic when he was a kid. By the end of the film, Gilbert had realized the error of his ways and helped our teen-aged heroes take down the sisters, which would allow him to make a more amicable return for a third film.
The original Hocus Pocus landed in theaters in the summer of 1993 and was relatively overlooked at the time, likely due to it hitting theaters so far ahead of Halloween and with Jurassic Park having been released shortly before the Halloween-themed adventure. Over the years, broadcasts of Hocus Pocus on various networks saw an entire generation of young viewers become enchanted with the experience its following grew more passionate with each passing year.
It may have taken nearly 30 years for a sequel to emerge, but it sounds as though it won’t take nearly as long for a third entry, given how successful Hocus Pocus 2 was for Disney+. It’s currently unknown if Midler, Parker, and Najimy will return for a third film, but sequel director Anne Fletcher and sequel writer Jen D’Angelo are reportedly on board.
Stay tuned for updates on Hocus Pocus 3.
Would you like to see Richardson return for the third film? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
