Moviefone Editorial

Tag: hocus-pocus

  • Bette Midler Just Crushed Our ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Dreams

    A sequel to 1993’s “Hocus Pocus” has been talked about for years and years (and years), and while there have been some recent rumors that the beloved Disney flick is set for a revival, star Bette Midler just officially crushed our dreams.

    In a Facebook Q&A with fans this week, Midler answered a query about whether “Hocus Pocus 2” would ever happen — and said, in no uncertain terms, that it would not.

    “After all these years and all the fan demand, I do believe I can stand and firmly say an unequivocal no,” Midler responded.

    That’s a different tune than the one Midler was singing just a year ago, when the actress said in a Reddit AMA that she would be on board for a sequel, and urged fans to inundate Disney with requests to make it happen. Costars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy also chimed in with their support for a second flick.

    So what changed? It’s unclear, though Midler isn’t wrong that a lot of time has passed; it’s been more than 20 years since the film first hit theaters, and you’d think that if Disney wanted to make another one, they would have already done so. The Mouse House briefly conjured up sequel talk again when they staged a new “Hocus Pocus”-themed show at Disney World this year, but no further announcement ever materialized.

    While we’re disappointed by Midler’s statement, we can’t say we’re surprised. We’ll keep our brooms crossed just in case a miracle happens, but it seems we’ve seen the last of the Sanderson sistahs.

    [via: Bette Midler]

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  • These ‘Hocus Pocus’ Cast Memories Will Give You Serious Nostalgia

    hocus pocus, hocus pocus cast, vinessa shaw, thora birchNot a Halloween goes by without fans clamoring for a sequel to beloved cult classic “Hocus Pocus,” which turns 22 this year. And while a follow-up seems about as dead as the Sanderson Sisters at the end of the flick, there are still plenty of new memories for the movie’s cast to share.

    In an interview with E! News, three members of the 1993 film’s ensemble offered up their recollections about their time on set, ranging from the real-life friendliness of the women playing the witches to their amazement at the film’s continuing popularity all these years later. Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison, the love interest of Max (Omri Katz), told E! that she and Thora Birch (who played Max’s little sister, Dani) had tons of fun on the Disney lot, running around and singing songs, and getting into trouble with the young stars of “Home Improvement,” which was shooting nearby.

    “I’d talk with Sarah Jessica Parker and she’d ask me if I really loved what I did as an actress,” Shaw, who was 16 at the time of filming, told E!. “She’d say ‘It’s a wonderful job if you love it.’ So, she was just very sweet and curious and made me feel really comfortable.”

    For her part, Birch told E! that one of the most memorable moments of filming for her was dealing with both the real and fake versions of the film’s anthropomorphic cat, Benjamin. “You never knew what would happen,” Birch recalled of working with both live an animatronic felines.

    Doug Jones, who played Billy (the zombie with his mouth sewn shut), compared “Hocus Pocus” to another classic film.

    “It’s become ‘The Wizard of Oz‘ for Halloween,” Jones told E!. “I had no idea that we’d have kids outside of our original audience becoming fans in 2015, but it has been such a sweet blessing.”

    Shaw agreed.

    “I don’t think any of us had any idea of the magnitude of how popular it would be ’til this day,” the actress said. “It just goes to show that when you are young you watch things over and over again and it gets in your head, and just sticks.”

    For more from the cast, check out the full interview over at E!.

    Photo credit: Why So Blu?

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  • 16 Halloween Movies You Can Watch With Your Kids

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    Who doesn’t love a good scare? But you can’t exactly sit down and watch “The Shining” or “The Exorcist” with young kids. (Well, you can but we’re not paying the therapy bills.)

    Why not queue up family-friendly horror-comedies like “Hocus Pocus,” “Casper” or “The Addams Family?”

    Here’s our list of 16 movies you can watch with your kids (and not be bored silly).

  • Here’s ABC Family’s ’13 Nights of Halloween’ Lineup

    13 nights of halloween, abc familyABC Family has announced the full lineup for its annual “13 Nights of Halloween” celebration, and its offerings of both kid- and adult-friendly fare signify that it’s already beginning its transition into its upcoming rebranded network, Freeform.

    The schedule includes perennial favorites like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1,” “Hocus Pocus,” and “The Addams Family,” which appeal to tweens and teens alike, along with flicks to attract a younger crowd, including “Frankenweenie,” “Monsters University,” and “Toy Story OF TERROR!”

    But the more-adult movies — aimed at that so-called “becomer” demographic of viewers in their late 20s and early 30s — begin late at night, and wouldn’t have been caught dead on ABC Family’s schedule before. These new flicks — including Johnny Depp‘s “Sleepy Hollow,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and the original “Poltergeist” — clearly signify the shift to Freeform, and should hopefully attract the audience that the network craves.

    Check out the full line-up below.

    Night One – Monday, October 19
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” — 1:30 – 5:00 PM ET/PT
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” — 5:00 – 8:00 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 9:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Two – Tuesday, October 20
    “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” (4:00 – 6:00 PM ET/PT)
    “Hocus Pocus” (6:00 – 8:00 PM ET/PT)
    “Stitchers” special Halloween episode — 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT
    “Stitchers” encore — 10:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Casper”– 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Three – Wednesday, October 21
    “Casper” — 5:00 – 7:00 PM ET/PT
    “The Addams Family” — 7:00 – 9:00 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 9:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Four – Thursday, October 22
    “The Addams Family” — 4:00 – 6:00 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET/PT
    “The Hunger Games” — 8:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Five – Friday, October 23
    “The Hunger Games” — 5:30 – 8:30 PM ET/PT
    “Sleepy Hollow” — 8:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Matilda” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Six – Saturday, October 24
    “Matilda” — 7:00 – 9:00 AM ET/PT
    “ParaNorman” — 9:00 – 11:00 AM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” — 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET/PT
    Casper” — 2:30 – 4:30 PM ET/PT
    “The Addams Family” — 4:30 – 6:30 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University” — 8:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!” — 11:00 – 11:30 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM ET/PT

    Night Seven – Sunday, October 25
    “ParaNorman” — 7:00 – 9:00 AM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” — 9:00 – 11:00 AM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET/PT
    “Casper” — 12:30 – 2:30 PM ET/PT
    “The Addams Family” — 2:30 – 4:30 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 4:30 – 6:30 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!” — 6:30 – 7:00 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University” — 7:00 – 9:45 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 9:45 PM – 12:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Eight – Monday, October 26
    “Sleepy Hollow” — 5:30 – 8:00 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!” — 9:00 – 9:30 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — 9:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Nine – Tuesday, October 27
    “Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie” — 4:00 –6:00 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — 6:00 – 7:30 PM ET/PT
    “Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!”– 7:30 – 8:00 PM
    “Hocus Pocus” — 9:00– 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “ParaNorman” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Ten – Wednesday, October 28
    “ParaNorman” — 4:00 – 6:00 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 6:00 – 8:15 PM ET/PT
    “Dark Shadows” — 8:15 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Casper” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Eleven – Thursday, October 29
    “Casper” — 5:00 – 7:00 PM ET/PT
    “The Addams Family” — 7:00 – 9:00 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 9:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Twelve – Friday, October 30
    “The Addams Family” — 2:30 – 4:30 PM ET/PT
    “Addams Family Values” — 4:30 – 6:30 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” — 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET/PT
    “Poltergeist” — 8:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT
    “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” — 12:00 – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    Night Thirteen – Saturday, October 31
    “Batman” — 7:00 – 10:00 AM ET/PT
    “Batman Returns” — 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
    “Poltergeist” — 12:30 – 3:00 PM ET/PT
    “Sleepy Hollow” — 3:00 – 5:30 PM ET/PT
    “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — 5:30 – 7:00 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus”– 7:00 – 9:15 PM ET/PT
    “Hocus Pocus” encore — 9:15 – 11:30 PM ET/PT
    “Sleepy Hollow” — 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM ET/PT

    [via: TV by the Numbers]

    Photo credit: 13 Nights of Halloween

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  • A ‘Hocus Pocus’ Stage Show Is Coming to Disney World This Halloween

    The Sanderson sisters will rise again: Disney has just announced that the trio of witches from “Hocus Pocus” are set to take the stage for a new show at Disney World during the park’s annual Halloween celebration.

    Witches Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, respectively, in the 1993 flick) will star in the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, a stage show that will team the trio with a host of other classic Disney villains. Though those villains’ identities have yet to be fully revealed (so far Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” is the only confirmed participant), concept art for the event suggests that baddies such as Cruella DeVille from “101 Dalmations,” the Evil Queen from “Snow White,” and Jafar from “Aladdin” will also be a part of the show.

    Here’s the official concept for the event, according to Disney Parks:

    In “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” return to the mortal world for one night during the Halloween season. With only a few hours to run amuck, the three sisters decide to use their magic to throw the best, evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard!

    With the help of the Disney villains, Winifred, Mary and Sarah gather together sinister shadows, nefarious nightmares and the power of their frightful friends to conjure the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion and cast a spell on everyone in the Magic Kingdom Park.

    The show will take place during the annual Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which runs at the Magic Kingdom from September 15 through November 1. Our fingers are crossed that Midler, Najimy, and Parker make an appearance at the event. (Perhaps in preparation for the long-gestating “Hocus Pocus” sequel?)

    [via: Disney Parks]

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