The question of will there be a Hocus Pocus 3 has finally been answered, as star Bette Midler is now in talks for a third installment of the beloved franchise. In an interview on The Jess Cagle Show, Midler revealed that Hocus Pocus 3 was being considered by creatives, although in a capacity she described as “very gingerly and very gently.” In June 2023, Disney motion picture president Sean Bailey confirmed that the third movie is in development (via People).

Released nearly 30 years after Hocus Pocus, one of the ’90s’ most nostalgic live-action Disney movies, Hocus Pocus 2 saw the Sanderson sisters returning to cause mischief and mayhem once again. This time, it was three teenage girls – Cᴀssie, Izzy, and Becca – who lit the black flame candle that brought them back to life. The movie was a big hit with fans old and new, and with Hocus Pocus 3 on the way, I know exactly what I want to see happen in the threequel.

6

Bring Back Max, Dani, And Allison

As Adults, They Could Help The New Protagonists

One of the first things I noticed about Hocus Pocus 2 is how a few of the key characters from the first movie were missing – namely Max (Omri Katz), his sister Dani (Thora Birch), and Max’s friend and crush, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). While it stands to reason that many of the actors have gone on to do other things, I would still love to see these characters return in some way in Hocus Pocus 3. Both Shaw and Birch are still acting, and though Katz has retired, it’s possible that he could be willing to make an appearance.

There are still many ways that the writers of Hocus Pocus 3 could incorporate the original characters into the story, and some of the actors have already said they would be on board. Since they would now be adults, maybe one of them had kids who could befriend Izzy, Becca, and Cᴀssie. Or they could return to help the three friends rid Salem of the Sanderson sisters again, having done it once before. At the very least, if the plot of Hocus Pocus 3 somehow integrated just one of the heroes from the first movie, I’d be happy.

5

A Witchy Musical Number

The Songs From The First Two Movies Were So Good That We Want More

One of the most beloved scenes from the first Hocus Pocus is when the Sanderson sisters performed “I Put A Spell On You” during the Halloween bash at Salem’s town hall. The frequently covered tune from 1956, originally written and recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, was made all the more iconic with Winifred’s witchy rendition. After all, when you’ve got Bette Midler in the mix, how can you not have the legendary diva show off her stuff?

In 2022, Hocus Pocus 2 followed up Midler’s hypnotic performance from the first movie with the Blondie hit, “One Way or Another.” The Sanderson sisters cast a spell on the crowd at the Salem Halloween Carnival, “enlisting” their help in finding Mayor Traske, the ancestor of Winifred’s nemesis, Reverend Traske. The mᴀssive choreographed musical number nearly surpᴀssed the sisters’ performance from the first film, which means that a third one in Hocus Pocus 3 would have to rise to the challenge to outdo them both.

With how well they were received in the first two movies, a musical number in Hocus Pocus 3 is almost a certainty at this point. The real question is: what song should the Sanderson sisters perform next? Well, it just so happens that I might have a few ideas. There are always the classics, like Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” or “Season of the Witch” by Donovan. Personally, though, I think that “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would be a perfect fit.

4

More Of Hannah Waddingham As The Witch Mother

The Third Movie Needs To Tell Us More About This Awesome Character

Speaking of musical numbers, I was thrilled to see the multi-talented actor and singer Hannah Waddingham play an all-too-brief role in Hocus Pocus 2. At the beginning of the movie, young Winifred, Mary, and Sarah are run out of Salem by an angry mob, and find shelter in a dark forest. There, they meet Waddingham’s character, the Witch Mother, who plans on sucking out the souls of the little girls until she realizes that Winifred is gifted with magic. Instead, she gives Winifred the book of spells, hoping to train the sisters as her protégés.

Waddingham was perfect casting for the role of the Witch Mother, and I would love to have seen more of her. Plus, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the character and her origins, and I’m eager to know more about her. It’s obvious that she is hiding a secret from the Sanderson sisters, and I’m curious as to what her true intentions might be. That’s why it would be prudent to have her return in the third Hocus Pocus movie – and hey, if Waddingham were also to sing a duet with Bette Midler, I wouldn’t complain.

3

Bring Back Binx

This Fan-Favorite Character Needs To Come Back In A Big Way

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that Binx, the talking black cat from the first Hocus Pocus, is one of the most beloved characters from the film. A boy cursed into the body of an immortal feline, Thackery Binx was the true hero of Hocus Pocus. Without him, Max, Dani, and Allison would never have been able to save Salem from the Sanderson sisters. Having a sarcastic sidekick around also never hurts – especially one who can get flattened by a car and survive.

Even though Binx’s spirit was freed at the end of Hocus Pocus, I was still bummed not to see him in Hocus Pocus 2. While a black cat does make an appearance in the movie as an homage to the character, it just wasn’t the same without Jason Marsden’s voice behind it. However, the creatives behind the Hocus Pocus franchise could make up for his absence by putting the character in Hocus Pocus 3.

2

The Origin Of The Spellbook

We Need To Know Who Actually Wrote It And What’s With That Eye

Winifred’s spellbook in Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 is a powerful tool that houses evil magic, including the recipe for “Life Potion” that the witches use to take the souls of children. Covered in human skin and with a single moving eye, the spellbook bears a heavy resemblance to the Necronomicon from the Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ movies. Although the first movie says that Winifred made a pact with the devil for the book, Hocus Pocus 2 revealed that it was the Witch Mother who gave the book to teen Winifred, and it had apparently been pᴀssed down among witches over generations.

Even with the flashback scene at the beginning of Hocus Pocus 2, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the spellbook’s origins. Was it actually written by the devil? What poor soul was skinned and had their eye plucked out to make it? Hocus Pocus 2 also revealed that the book is sentient, and it might not be as evil as we once thought – so maybe someone was cursed into a book, the same way Binx was cursed to be a cat. I want answers, and Hocus Pocus 3 had better have them!

1

Let Winifred Be Mean Again

Her Arc In Hocus Pocus 2 Changed The Character Too Much

The theme of sisterhood is prevalent throughout Hocus Pocus 2, and not only among Becca, Cᴀssie, and Izzy. For the first time, the movie shows the familial bond between the Sanderson sisters. While the first Hocus Pocus gave them a Three Stooges dynamic with Winifred as the Moe character, Hocus Pocus 2 shows Winifred as more of a motherly figure to Sarah and Mary, and taking on the role of a protector.

At the end of Hocus Pocus 2, Winifred casts the Magicae Maxima spell, not realizing that what she sacrifices (what she cherishes the most) is her sisters. After Mary and Sarah fade away, Winifred regrets her decision. Izzy, Becca, and Cᴀssie cast a spell to reunite the Sandersons, and Winifred is grateful for their help as she, too, fades away.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I was left very unsatisfied with this ending. Although an alternate ending showed the sisters in Purgatory, even that didn’t solve the biggest problem. What made the Sanderson sisters so great in the first Hocus Pocus was their wickedness and lust for power, particularly Winifred’s blind ambition to remain young and immortal no matter the cost. By giving Winifred’s character a redemption arc in Hocus Pocus 2, it completely negated what I loved about her in the first movie.

In the original Hocus Pocus, Winifred is selfish, self-absorbed, and unapologetically nasty. I also loved the hilarious dynamic between the sisters in the first film, with Mary and Sarah faithfully doting on Winifred despite how badly she treats them. Hopefully, with Hocus Pocus 3, Winifred can go back to being the Queen of Mean that she was before.