Hocus Pocus 3 gets a major update from Bette Midler two years after the sequel was announced. The third installment in the Disney Halloween movie series was announced in July 2023 following the success of Hocus Pocus 2, which had the most-watched weekend premiere in Disney+ history with 2.7 billion minutes of viewing.

Three years after the second movie’s debut, the original Hocus Pocus and the sequel continue to be streaming hits as the second and fifth most-watched show or movie on Disney+ charts during the 2025 Halloween season. Nevertheless, the last Hocus Pocus 3 update from Sarah Jessica Parker was that there were “No more developments other than we would like to do it.”

On Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Midler now provides a more promising update, as she reveals that she has received a script for Hocus Pocus 3 and that “a lot of it was brilliant.” With a script written, she explains that other key details are now being figured out, including how much the sequel will cost. Check out her comments below:

They sent a script and a lot of it was brilliant. So, I got very excited, and now we’re trying to figure out what it is and how it’s going and where it’s going to be and how much it’s going to cost.

Midler’s update is a major step forward for the project, especially after Parker’s previous remarks in July that there had been no further developments. Hocus Pocus 3 has a story now that there’s a script, although Midler’s remarks indicate that it is not finalized and will be reworked further.

Hocus Pocus 2‘s end-credits scene teased that the Sanderson sisters will return yet again despite being turned to dust. Midler’s involvement in the third movie confirms as much, as she plays Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson and is part of the iconic trio that includes Sarah Sanderson (Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy).

Anne Fletcher and Jen D’Angelo, who previously worked on Hocus Pocus 2, are attached to direct and write the third film. While no cast members are confirmed yet, it is likely that alongside the Sanderson sisters, Salem’s new coven of Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cᴀssie (Lilia Buckingham) will also return.

While the initial and ongoing streaming success was behind Disney’s decision to greenlight the third movie, Midler’s mention of the script being “brilliant” and making her “excited” bode well for the actual story, which the creative team is still working to perfect.

Since many key details are still being worked out, audiences should not expect Hocus Pocus 3 in the near future. It probably won’t be ready for Halloween 2026, with 2027 being a more likely release window. However, it is fitting that the sequel’s most promising update since the initial announcement in 2023 comes during the current Halloween season.