Summary
- The original director of Hocus Pocus, Kenny Ortega, revealed that he always saw potential for a spin-off focused on Allison and her potential witchy powers.
- Hocus Pocus 3 has been discussed as a possibility, with a post-credits scene in Hocus Pocus 2 hinting at the continuation of the story.
- Any new sequel would need to be developed quickly to include the original cast, as stars like Bette Midler are unlikely to wait another 30 years to reprise their roles.
The arrival of Hocus Pocus 2 last year revived the comedy-horror after three decades, and with it brought a new wave of fans to the spooky franchise. As the Sanderson sisters arose again, with Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker returning to their roles, fans began to reminisce about the characters who did not return for the sequel, which included Vinessa Shaw’s Allison and Omri Katz’s Max.
Recently original Hocus Pocus director Kenny Ortega finally addressed one popular fan theory about Allison, which has reared its head again thanks to the arrival of the sequel regarding the possibility that Allison could in fact have her own witchy powers. In fact, Ortega revealed that such a story could have previously been developed into a spin-off of its own. He told Entertainment Weekly:
“I did feel the whole time that there was a little witch there. I even thought there was potential for a spinoff that was about that, and I had conversations about that many years later at the Disney Channel. I thought she was bewitching as a teenage girl. It was not typical for Max to fall head-over-heels for her. She had a mystical beauty, and she was bewitching.”
Whether Allison did have some magical connections in her past is something that has never directly been addressed in the franchise, mainly thanks to the character not appearing in Hocus Pocus 2, but there has been talk of a further expansion of the franchise, and that could provide the perfect opportunity for other older characters to be developed further.
Related:Hocus Pocus: Where the Original 1993 Cast Is Today
Hocus Pocus 3 Has Been Discussed
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Like most movies, Hocus Pocus 2 did not end without hinting that the story is not quite over. In a post-credits scene, Gilbert the cat is seen discovering what appears to be the Black Flame candle, the mystical item used to summon up the Sanderson sisters. According to a report by earlier this year, Hocus Pocus 3 is not only a possibility, but one of the movies that Disney are considering a priority in their upcoming slate of movies in development.
Although there is always the risk of ruining the legacy of a movie by churning out multiple sequels with paper-thin storylines, and diminishing returns in terms of reviews and revenue. Although Hocus Pocus 2 proved to be a huge hit on Disney+, the consensus was that the sequel was fun but not as memorable as the 1993 original. One thing for certain is that any new sequel would need to be developed quickly if it is to include the Sandersons again. Omri Katz previously explained that stars like Bette Midler probably not be able to wait another 30 years to do it all again. Katz said:
“You can create any story. If they were to take the book and turn it into a screenplay, it doesn’t have to be the witches coming back, they can just do whatever they want, and people will be stoked to see it regardless. The witches are 30 years older, so we’ve got to get this done sooner than later. We can’t wait another 30 years. Sorry, it’s the truth! I’m sure Bette does not want to be doing this at age 98.”
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