Movies
‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Could Bring Original Cast Back for Disney Plus!
Disney has finally recognized the popularity of Hocus Pocus, one of the best kid-friendly Halloween-themed horror films ever made.
The Kenny Ortega-directed 1993 movie starred Omri Katz as a curious youngster who moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) that were executed in the 17th century. The film also starred Thora Birch.
After being ignored for years – much like that of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – Hocus Pocus has had quite the resurgence in pop culture. From Halloweentime screenings through Fathom Events to Funko Pop Vinyl box sets, the witches have even made their way to the Disney Parks as part of their annual Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, not to mention having their own dedicated merchandising sections.
READ ALSO: Tony Gardner Shares Never-Before-Seen Photos From the Set of Hocus Pocus! [Exclusive]
Disney began kicking the tires of a new Hocus Pocus over five years ago with Hocus Pocus 2: Rise of the Elderwitch, which would have focused on a witch hunter and a single witch. Then, two years ago, it was reported that a TV remake was in the works for The Disney Channel with an entirely new cast. This woke Midler from the grave, who shared her displeasure for the new incarnation: “I know it’s cheap. It’s going to be cheap!” Midler told People at the New York Restoration Project’s Hulaween party.
This may have caught the eye of Disney executives as neither project came to fruition (obviously). If Midler was so against a remake, maybe she’d return for a proper sequel? And now with Disney+ launching, they’re surely using algorithms to see what’s their most popular content. The answer is clearly Hocus Pocus.
With that, they hope to resurrect all three witches for Hocus Pocus 2, Collider reports, adding that Jen D’Angelo, who served as a writer and co-producer on “Workaholics”, has been hired to write the script.
Sources say that D’Angelo has been tasked with finding a way to bring back the original cast of Bette Midler as Winifred, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah, and Kathy Najimy as Mary. None of them are attached at the moment, but the studio is hopeful that they’ll be involved with the sequel in some capacity.
With Disney’s insane spending on Disney+ content, there’s no reason they can’t conjure up enough dollar bills for a reunion.
Disney+ launches on November 12. Is a Hocus Pocus and its sequel enough to get you to sign up for a year?
READ ALSO: How ‘The Lords of Salem’ Was Essentially Rob Zombie’s Dark Remake of ‘Hocus Pocus’
After pulling in $28 million at the worldwide box office this month, director (and star) Dev Patel’s critically acclaimed action-thriller Monkey Man is now available to watch at home.
You can rent Monkey Man for $19.99 or digitally purchase the film for $24.99!
Monkey Man is currently 88% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with Bloody Disgusting’s head critic Meagan Navarro awarding the film 4.5/5 stars in her review out of SXSW back in March.
Meagan raves, “While the violence onscreen is palpable and painful, it’s not just the exquisite fight choreography and thrilling action set pieces that set Monkey Man apart but also its political consciousness, unique narrative structure, and myth-making scale.”
“While Monkey Man pays tribute to all of the action genre’s greats, from the Indonesian action classics to Korean revenge cinema and even a John Wick joke or two, Dev Patel’s cultural spin and unique narrative structure leave behind all influences in the dust for new terrain,” Meagan’s review continues.
She adds, “Monkey Man presents Dev Patel as a new action hero, a tenacious underdog with a penetrating stare who bites, bludgeons, and stabs his way through bodies to gloriously bloody excess. More excitingly, the film introduces Patel as a strong visionary right out of the gate.”
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Monkey Man is produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
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