Hocus Pocus 3? Not So Fast. Rumors Of Sanderson Trilogy Abound

Hocus Pocus has been a cult classic Halloween movie since it was first released in 1993; even its reputation is a bit strange. Still, when it was revealed that the Sanderson sisters were going to reunite for a sequel, calendars were marked, and the countdowns began. Now that Hocus Pocus 2 is available to stream, rumors over a trilogy started. Where did the rumors start and is there any truth to them? Here’s what you need to know.

Warning: If you haven’t watched Hocus Pocus 2 yet, do that first then come back because there are spoilers afoot.

Disney’s original Hocus Pocus, a story of three witch sisters who were executed in Salem in 1693 and came back 300 years later on Halloween is a classic. Given how universally loved the movie is, Disney had to tread carefully when it came to a sequel and according to early reviews, that’s what they were able to do.

The sequel brought the original Sanderson sisters back with the original actors, Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker. And the end of the movie teased that the trilogy might be made in a post-credit scene that set the potential for another movie down the line.

As Entertainment Weekly explains, the bonus scene saw that the character “who set the sequel's plot in motion by tricking a group of teens into lighting a Black Flame Candle he crafted from scratch,” left the door open for the power to resurrect the Sanderson sisters again.

“When the film's credits stop rolling, the camera cuts to the interior of Gilbert's Olde Salem Magic Shoppe, the former home of the Sanderson Sisters that he later converted into a tourist trap for witch-obsessed Salem citizens,” the publication explains. “We see his trusty cat, Cobweb, approach a shelf in the store, upon which he climbs and perches next to a box labeled ‘B.F. CANDLE #2.’”

Is Hocus Pocus 3 happening?

As of right now, there are no details on a Hocus Pocus 3 anytime soon. But the sequel did leave the possibility open — with a few different options.

In another post-credit sequence, the new coven introduced in the movie (played by Lilia Buckingham, Whitney Peak, and Belissa Escobedo) performs a follow-up spell that could set the stage for another movie or a spin-off following the new coven.

The Sanderson sisters actors speak out

"I'd love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing," Midler previously told Entertainment Weekly about the potential of more movies. "If there was a third one, of course, I'd sign on, but I don't know how. I can't imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary, and our relationship. It's good for women. We stick together through hell and high water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem!"

Parker suggested Najimy thinks an animated version of the movie might work, too, according to Entertainment Weekly, and she’d definitely consider any options for a third.

"Of course, I'd be happy to have a conversation [for a third film]," Parker said continued. "It just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!"

Hocus Pocus 2 is currently streaming on Disney+.