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Warning! This article contains spoilers for Hocus Pocus 2. If you've yet to see the movie and don't want to know how it ends, turn back now.
Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in the works. In a new interview with The New York Times, Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed another sequel was in development – but given the Sanderson Sisters' fate at the end of the last installment, it can't help but feel a little unexpected.
Released in 1993, the original followed a young boy named Max (Omri Katz) who inadvertently resurrects witches Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), Winifred (Bette Midler) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), endangering the Salem town he and his family move to just before Halloween. Its follow-up centers on a similar plot, as three young women unleash the child-hungry sorceresses once again. Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham star, while Doug Jones appears as Winnie's zombified ex-boyfriend Billy Butcherson once again.
It ends with Winifred, in her attempt to stop the opposing trio, using Magicae Maxima, an incantation that makes the user all-powerful in return of them giving up what they cherish most. The charm causes Sarah and Mary to fade to dust, which leads to an all-powerful Wini begging the teens to resurrect them. While they cannot, the girls join together in a coven and cast a reuniting spell, allowing Winifred to happily fade away and reunite with her sisters. Elsewhere, Billy the zombie disappears, too, suggesting that all of Winifred's spells have been undone – and perhaps, more interestingly, that the Sandersons are gone for good this time.
With that, a third chapter seems a little unnecessary on the surface; the story feels complete. However, Disney are famously in the business of making franchises these days and the second film set a streaming movie record when it racked up 2.7 billion minutes viewed in its opening weekend. So it's not hard to see why the studio would want to repeat that success. Also, they're fun, so why not?
There's clearly a lot of love still out there for the Sanderson Sisters and when your series revolves around magic and resurrection, there's not really any end that has to be completely final. Also, there's every chance that Hocus Pocus 3 will focus on Waddingham's Mother Witch, and not the Sandersons, given that Ted Lasso has seemingly concluded. Viewers last saw Mother Witch presumably flying off in her crow form right at the end of Hocus Pocus 2, which could be an indication as to the next film's story. Either way, we're in.
Both Hocus Pocus movies are available to stream on Disney Plus now. If sorcery-filled films aren't your bag, then check out the best movies on Disney Plus and the best shows on Disney Plus for some viewing inspiration.
