A lot of people like to watch holiday-themed movies when the time is ripe. While Christmas has a lot of specifically themed movies that come to mind, this concept obviously also includes the upcoming and popular holiday, Halloween. There are plenty of movies out there to choose from when it comes to Halloween fodder, including a slew of classic and current horror films, but one family Halloween favorite is Hocus Pocus, a witch-based flick that originally premiered back in 1993. Now, the Disney Channel has plans for a sequel, and the director of the original Hocus Pocus movie, Kenny Ortega, has explained what he would actually do with Hocus Pocus 2 were he in charge. He said,
I would like to see a sequel, and I think that the fans would like to see a sequel. I think it would be much more fun to bring the ladies back. They're all still vital and in their prime and capable of doing so much that it would be great to see Bette and Kathy and Sarah come back together to do another movie, and I think they would like to.
If you've been keeping tabs on Hocus Pocus 2, you may already know that The Disney Channel announced plans about a week ago to bring a brand new remake to TV. While that project is still in the early stages of development, the popular channel made sure to note that original producer David Kirschner will be back, but other than that, the project seems to be going back to the drawing board and putting together a new cast and premise. The Disney Channel may want a fresh take, but according to Kenny Ortega, while fans would like to see a sequel, he believes they would also like to see the original cast back. Still, in addition Ortega told Entertainment Tonight that it was "more power" to Disney for allowing a remake to come together in the first place, so he doesn't seem too bent out of shape regarding the latest developments in the franchise.
What's particularly conflicting about the recent news is that the original cast is totally game to come together for Hocus Pocus 2. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kath Najimy and Bette Midler have at various points said they would be willing to come back. Bette Midler even went so far as to dress up as her Hocus Pocus character for Halloween last year. Yet, Disney ultimately opted to go in a very different direction with the project, whether that be due to budget concerns or simply the relevance of bringing back the three witches more than 20 years later.
Sarah Jessica Parker, in particular, is having a rough time getting sequels off of the ground right now. She's wanted to come back for Hocus Pocus 2, and now that's out. She also recently had to accept defeat with Sex and the City 3, which was in development for a while and reportedly even had a script but negotiations went awry with fellow cast member Kim Cattrall.
As for Hocus Pocus' new project over at the Disney Channel, TV Blend will keep you updated. If there's ever enough interest for a big screen project, we'll keep you updated, as well.
