Hocus Pocus (franchise)

300 years ago, in 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts, the Sanderson sisters were hanged by the population of Salem after a boy named Thackery Binx tried to stop the witches and was turned into an immortal black cat while saving his sister Emily. Before they die, Winifred (the oldest of the sisters) casts a spell stating they will return when a virgin lights a black candle in their house. In the present day, 1993, a newcomer from Los Angeles, California, Max, is bullied at school by two bullies, and has a crush on his schoolmate Allison. On Halloween night, his parents force him to go trick-or-treating with his sister Dani while they go to a party. Max and Dani stumbles upon the house of Allison and decide to go to the house of the Sanderson sisters. While at the house, Max lights a black candle and brings back Winifred, along with her sisters Sarah and Mary Sanderson. The sisters have but one night to suck the essence of the children of Salem and survive for more than one night before sunrise. But Max, Allison, and Dani want to avoid their wish to come true, so they team up with a 300-year-old cat and Winifred's lover, Billy Butcherson, to save the day.

In 1653, in Salem, the teenage Winifred Sanderson is banned from the village by the local Reverend Traske after refusing to get married with John Pritchett. After causing havoc in the town, she runs with sister Sarah and Mary to a forbidden forest. There, they meet the Witch Mother and gives Winifred a magic spell book. In the present day, 29 years after the events of the first film, in 2022, an aspirant witch named Becca is celebrating her 16th birthday with her friend Izzy. When the owner of a magic store named Gilbert gives a magic black candle to Becca for her birthday, she goes to the forest with Izzy along with their other friend Cassie and they summon the Sanderson sisters. Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson return to seek children to eat and plan revenge against Reverend Traske's descendants. The trio must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.

In October 2022, executive producer Adam Shankman stated that the storyline involving Becca allows for future projects, including potential spinoffs.[1] By February 2023, Midler stated that while nothing was official she was open to returning in a sequel.[2][3] Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham as well as original movie stars Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Jason Marsden each expressed interest in returning for a third movie.[4][5][6] In June 2023 Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed that a third film is in development, and planned for a release on Disney+.[7][8] Later that month, it was announced that Anne Fletcher will once again serve as director, with a script written by Jen D'Angelo.[9]

On October 20, 2018, a special entitled Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash aired on Freeform. The special featured interviews with members of the cast, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, as well as a costume contest hosted by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne. It was filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[10][11]

In September 2022, franchise creator and executive producer for Hocus Pocus 2 David Kirschner, stated that he has ideas for a spin-off television series. Inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kirschner stated that the concept revolves around Salem's supernatural history, including characters whose names appear on the tombstones during the first film.[12]

In 2022, Disney Channel ran a short titled Hocus Pocus As Told By Chibi. This continues the trend started by Big Hero 6: The Series shorts spin-off Big Chibi 6 The Shorts and continued with several Disney franchises. The short was released on October 15, 2022, simplifies the plot of the first Hocus Pocus.[13]

In 2009, during ABC Family's (now Freeform) 13 Nights of Halloween lineup, a broadcast of the first film garnered 2.5 million viewers.[16] In 2011, an October 29 airing became the lineup's most watched program, garnering 2.8 million viewers.[17] In 2018, the lineup, now known as 31 Nights of Halloween during its 25th anniversary year, the first week of Hocus Pocus viewings garnered 8.2 million viewers.[18]

According to Whip Media, Hocus Pocus was the most watched movie across all platforms in the United States during the week of October 31, 2021.[19] According to Whip Media, Hocus Pocus was the 2nd most watched movie across all platforms in the United States during the week of September 30, 2022 to October 2, 2022,[20][21] the 7th during the week of October 9, 2022,[22][23] and the 9th during the week of October 23, 2022.[24]

In October 2022, Disney+ reported Hocus Pocus 2 was the service's most-viewed-film premiere in the United States, based on the number of hours streamed in the first three days of its release.[25][26][27] Disney later reported that Hocus Pocus 2 was the service's most-viewed film.[28][29]

According to Whip Media, Hocus Pocus 2 was the 2nd most anticipated film of September 2022,[30] the most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2022 in its first three days,[28] as of October 2022,[31][32] the most watched film across all platforms in the United States during the week of September 30, 2022, to October 2, 2022,[20][21] the 2nd during the week of October 9, 2022,[22][23] the 4th during the week of October 23, 2022,[24] as well as the 4th during the week of October 30, 2022,[33] and the 9th during the week of November 4, 2022 to November 6, 2022.[34] According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, Hocus Pocus 2 was the most watched program across all platforms during the weeks of October 5, 2022, and October 14, 2022.[35]

• In October 2011, the Houston Symphony celebrated various horror and Halloween classics, including Hocus Pocus, with "The Hocus Pocus Pops".[44]
• In October 2013, D23 held a special screening of Hocus Pocus at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, to honor the 20th anniversary of the film. Nine of the cast and crew gathered for the screening, and hundreds of D23 members attended. Returning members included Kathy Najimy, David Kirschner, Thora Birch, Doug Jones, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz.[45]
• During her Divine Intervention Tour in 2015, Bette Midler appeared on stage dressed as Winifred Sanderson. Her Harlettes appeared with her dressed as Mary and Sarah, and the three of them performed the film's version of "I Put a Spell on You".[46]
• In September 2016, the cast reunited for "In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover". The one-hour broadcast was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the proceeds went to the New York Restoration Project.[47][48] Members of the cast who participated were Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones.[49] Other notable participants of the benefit included Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey, Cassandra Peterson, Glenn Close, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Todrick Hall, Jennifer Hudson, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Michael Kors, Adam Lambert, George Lopez, Alex Moffat, Martin Short, Sarah Silverman, John Stamos, Kenan Thompson, Sophie von Haselberg, and Bella Hadid.[49]
• The City of Salem has celebrated its connection to Hocus Pocus, while local filming sites have become an attraction for fans as the film's legacy has grown over the years. In 2018, the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, an annual Salem festival held every October, was Hocus Pocus-themed in honor of the film's 25th anniversary.[50][51] A representative for Destination Salem also reported a huge uptick in tourism for the 25th anniversary year, stating: "There's always been a 'Hocus Pocus' component to the visitors to Salem, especially in October. But it's like the film's following grows every year."[52]

Novelization

In July 2018, a book entitled Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel was released, containing a novelization of film and a sequel story. The sequel focuses of Max and Allison's daughter, Poppy, who grew up hearing the family story of the original film and parents who avoid Halloween as much as possible. Poppy is skeptical of the tale and ends up in the Sanderson house on Halloween, 25 years to the day the original film takes place, in an attempt to prove there is nothing to the story.[53]

Behind the Scenes

In September 2016, entertainment critic Aaron Wallace published Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic, the first full-length book written about the film. The book includes a foreword by Thora Birch and afterword by Mick Garris. Billed as a "lighthearted but scholarly look at the film", the book analyzes the film's major themes, which it identifies as festivity, nostalgia, home, horror, virginity, feminism, Broadway-style musical moments, sibling rivalry, "Spielbergian" filmmaking style, Disney villain traditions, and more. Wallace also analyzes Walt Disney World's Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular as part of the film's legacy and includes "the largest collection of Hocus Pocus fun facts and trivia ever assembled", complete with extensive endnote citations.[54][55][56]

The Sanderson sisters appear as playable characters in Disney video games such as Disney Magic Kingdoms (2016)[57] and Disney Heroes: Battle Mode (2018).

During an interview on The Big Seance Podcast in September 2021, creator David Kirschner revealed that a Broadway adaptation of the original film is in development."[58] During an interview leading up to the release of Hocus Pocus 2 in September 2022, he stated that "I just want to pinch myself, and I'm just afraid that I'm going to be 9 years old and on a Little League field again. But it's just so wonderful just to stand back and watch all of this ... I think you're going to be very pleased."[59] Kenny Ortega, the director of the original film, previously revealed to Forbes in September 2020 of his interest to direct the production, stating "I think a Hocus Pocus musical would be great fun, really great fun."[60]

Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular

In September 2015, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was introduced at the Magic Kingdom as part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World. The show features the Sanderson sisters who try to make a villain party and summon or attract various Disney villains in the process.[61]

Halloween Screams

Since 2009, "I Put a Spell on You" which features prominently in the first movie, plays during the audience exit for the fireworks show Halloween Screams for Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland.

In 2023, Hocus Pocus: The Sanderson Sisters’ Cottage (set number: 21341) will be released on July 4, 2023 and based on the 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus. The winning project's announcement came over two months before the release of the sequel Hocus Pocus 2. The set consists of 2316 pieces with 6 minifigures. The set included Lego minifigures of the three Sanderson Sisters (Winifred, Sarah and Mary), Max, Danni, Allison and Thackery Binx as black cat.[62]