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If you’ve visited Salem, Massachusetts, in the last decade or so, you’re probably well aware that the Disney movie Hocus Pocus was shot there. During spooky season, which now starts in the middle of August and runs through Halloween, the historic coastal city known for being the site of the 1692 witch trials is inundated by fans of the 1993 family film, which stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as 17th-century sister witches who are accidentally resurrected by a Grateful Dead-loving high schooler and, lest we forget,...

Kenny Ortega is now a name associated with some of Disneys biggest hits aimed at children and teenagers, and back in 1993, he brought the story of the Sanderson Sisters to life in Hocus Pocus. Ortega began his career as a choreographer, working in movies like Xanadu, St. Elmos Fire, and Dirty Dancing. In 1992, Ortega made his directorial debut with Newsies, a historical musical drama based on the New York City newsboys strike of 1899. For his second movie, Ortega left musicals aside and focused on a Halloween story with witches, magical books, zombies, and more.

Hocus Pocus

Release Date July 16, 1993Cast Omri Katz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Bette Midler, Vinessa ShawGenres Family, Comedy, Horror, FantasyRating PGDirector Kenny OrtegaWriters Neil Cuthbert, Mick Garris, David KirschnerDistributor(s) Disney

Hocus Pocus takes us to Salem, Massachusetts, where, on October 31, 1693, the Sanderson Sisters Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah...

Disney confirmed in 2023 that a third Hocus Pocus movie was in development, but the current status of the project remains unclear. Not even Doug Jones, who appeared in both Hocus Pocus films as Billy Butcherson, knows when the threequel will actually start filming.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Jones confirmed that he still hasn't been approached to reprise his role as Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus 3. The actor suggested that this was because the three leads --- Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Paker --- haven't yet officially signed on to return as the Sanderson Sisters. Jones believes nobody's going to be approached until all three lead stars are officially confirmed to return, but if and when that call comes his way, there will be no hesitation to return as Billy Butcherson.

Related 'While We're Still Breathing': Bette Midler Urges Disney to Hurry on Hocus Pocus 3...

Bette Midler is calling on Disney and urging them to get a script for Hocus Pocus 3.

The star of the Halloween film says she has not seen a script for the third installment, which has been in development following the success of the sequel last year on Disney+.

“I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings,” Midler said on the QVC+ talk show Busy This Week.

She continued, “I think if they’re gonna, they oughta because time is not just marching. Time is barrel-assing to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!”

Hocus Pocus was first released in 1993 and directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. The film follows a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy on Halloween night.

Related:...

Writer Jen D’Angelo got her start working on episodes of shows Workaholics, Cougar Town, and Young Rock, and now she’s on a streak of successfully getting her feature scripts brought to the screen. She wrote the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2, the time travel slasher Totally Killer, and the newly released comedy Quiz Lady – and next on her to-do list is Hocus Pocus 3. D’Angelo has previously teased that the new sequel could bring Hannah Waddingham back as her Hocus Pocus 2 character The Witch Mother, and during an interview with Collider she also gave a hint as to what could bring the Sanderson Sisters back into action, seeking revenge against Salem.

D’Angelo said, “I have my theories about what we could see (in Hocus Pocus 3), and what things mean and where we could take these characters. It’s interesting to be like, ‘Now we have even...

Don’t believe anything you read. Hocus Pocus is a damn good movie. From its opening frame, the 1993 film contains all the magic and wonder you could want from a gateway horror movie – earning its place next to other ‘90s essentials like Halloweentown. It’s got a talking black cat, spooky spellcasting, a zombie, and three children-eating witches – oh my! Released in the height of summer (July 12), the Kenny Ortega-directed feature hasn’t lost its allure. In fact, its legacy is as strong as ever. It’s still an extraordinarily fun picture 30 years later.

Hocus Pocus endures because of nostalgia. In the era of TV reboots, remakes, and requels, millennials yearn for their childhood and a simpler time. There’s a reason we got a completely unnecessary sequel last fall. But more importantly, Hocus Pocus defines an entire generation of horror fans. For many, it was their very first spooky movie.

Hocus Pocus fans would say that the casting for the classic Halloween comedy film is perfect, especially that of the Sanderson Sisters. Before they reprised their roles as the villainous witches in last year's Hocus Pocus 2, the original film from 1993 starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. But that trio and their dynamic could have been quite a bit different had Rosie O'Donnell accepted the role of one of the characters.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O'Donnell confirms that she passed on Hocus Pocus. She clarifies that she was up for the role of Mary Sanderson, the witch played by Najimy in the film. O'Donnell explains that while she would have loved working with Midler and Parker, she just wasn't interested in that role, not wanting to be portrayed as a "fat, mean witch" who murders children. As O'Donnell puts it:

"I was offered the Kathy Najimy part.

A couple days ago, we learned that Hocus Pocus 3 is in development at the Disney+ streaming service – and now The Wrap has confirmed that this sequel is coming from the same creative team as the previous sequel! Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher is returning to direct the film from a screenplay by Hocus Pocus 2 writer Jen D’Angelo. Although we know who’s making the movie now, details on the plot they’re brewing up are still being kept under wraps.

The original cult favorite Hocus Pocus was released in 1993. Directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay credited to Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert (and based on story Garris crafted with David Kirschner), that film was about a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1963. The fearsome threesome is inadvertently resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem. As they...

The Sanderson sisters will be returning to cause more wicked chaos with Hocus Pocus 3, 30 years after the original movie was first released.

Disney+ is developing another sequel to the film starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker. Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed the news in an interview with The New York Times.

It’s no surprise that a sequel is being developed as Hocus Pocus 2 was a hit for the streamer setting a record with 2.7 billion minutes of viewing.

Hocus Pocus was first released in 1993 and directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. The film follows a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy on Halloween night.

Although it was not a box office hit, over the years the film would achieve cult...

It’s a big news week for our old pal Swamp Thing. DC Studios head James Gunn announced that a Swamp Thing movie will be part of the first slate of DC films he will be producing as he reboots the DC Universe. The next day, we heard that Logan director James Mangold is in early talks to direct the Swamp Thing movie. This morning, we released a Revisited episode that looks back at director Wes Craven’s 1982 version of Swamp Thing (you can watch that in the embed above). And now Mvd Entertainment is gearing up to give the 1989 sequel The Return of Swamp Thing a 4K Uhd release! The release date is February 7th, and copies can be pre-ordered at This Link.

Directed by Jim Wynorski from a screenplay by Neil Cuthbert and Grant Morris, The Return of Swamp Thing has the following synopsis: After her mother’s mysterious death,...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Uhd from Lightyear Entertainment

I don’t think anyone was expecting to see The Return of Swamp Thing on 4K Ultra HD, especially before Wes Craven’s 1982 original, but it’s coming February 7 from Lightyear Entertainment.

Based on the DC Comics character, the 1989 sequel is directed by Jim Wynorski and written by Neil Cuthbert and Grant Morris. Louis Jourdan, Heather Locklear, Sarah Douglas, and Dick Durock star.

The film been newly restored in 4K from the original interpositive with Dolby Vision Hdr and original 2.0 and 5.1 stereo audio. Special features include two audio commentaries, interviews with Wynorski, Cirino, Rosenthal, and producer Michael Uslan, promotional videos, and more.

Creature from the...

When Halloween comes around each year, you’d have to twist your bones and bend your back to avoid “Hocus Pocus.” The film regularly wins cable movie telecast ratings each October. Disney theme parks have an annual “Spelltacular” centered around the Sanderson Sisters. It’s even getting a sequel, “Hocus Pocus 2,” set to hit Disney+ next week.

But if Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are effectively Halloween royalty, why, you may wonder, did it take 30 years to get a second film? Well, “Hocus Pocus” wasn’t always the cultural touchstone it is in 2022.

When “Hocus Pocus” hit theaters in 1993, it was panned by critics — Roger Ebert’s one-star review said it was “like attending a party you weren’t invited to, and where you don’t know anybody, and they’re all in on a joke but won’t explain it to you.” And the movie flopped at the box office,...

Hocus Pocus star Omri Katz is returning to Salem this Halloween! The actor, who played Max Dennison in the perennial favorite, will be in the historic Massachusetts town for a pair of special events on October 22.

Katz will appear at Silver Moon Comics from 1-5pm for a signing followed by a Hocus Pocus screening and Q&a at 7pm at Cinema Salem. Both locations are in the Witch City Mall. Less than 25 tickets are left for the screening before it sells out, so grab one soon for 35. The signing does not require a ticket.

At the age of 17, Katz starred in the 1993 film alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw. Kenny Ortega directed from a script by Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) and Neil Cuthbert (Mystery Men).

Katz also starred in Eerie, Indiana, Matinee, Dallas, and Adventures in Dinosaur City. His character does...

Salem’s Sanderson Sisters—Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi—are back this Halloween in “Hocus Pocus 2” on Disney+. The streamer just launched the first teaser, which shows how two teen girls (Whitney Peak and Lilia Buckingham) resurrect the charmed triumvirate with some incantations and candles probably not purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

The 1993 original, directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, is a cult film in the truest sense of the word, and not just because of its occultist themes. The campy-spooky witch picture didn’t connect with critics at the time, and was a box office dud.

But the movie, which began its life as a story producer David Kirschner dreamed up as a bedtime story for his kids, eventually found its audience. Like the witches themselves, it had an afterlife, with repeat airings on ABC Family and the Disney Channel.

Disney is conjuring up more Hocus Pocus with the official sequel coming to Disney+ in 2022. A direct followup to the cult classic Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus 2 brings back all three of its original lead stars - Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker - to reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters. Forgoing a traditional theatrical release, the movie is in development specifically for Disney+ with plans to debut the sequel next year.

It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus 2️⃣

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the delightfully wicked Sanderson Sisters in #HocusPocus2, coming fall 2022 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gr3B0Z1JcA

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 20, 2021

With Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson all returning, the sequel will see the witch trio returning to Salem once again. An official logline for Hocus Pocus 2 reads: "Three young women accidentally...

Hocus Pocus 2 is reportedly moving forward with a new director at the helm. Previously, it had been reported that Adam Shankman was on board to direct the anticipated sequel for Disney+, using a screenplay written by Jen D'Angelo (Workaholics). A new report from The DisInsider has now revealed that Shankman has been replaced on the project by choreographer and filmmaker Anne Fletcher.

Shankman had also been tapped by Disney to direct the upcoming Enchanted sequel Disenchanted. The director will continue in his role on that movie, which is expected to shoot through the summer. This is likely the biggest reason behind Shankman's reported replacement, as word is Hocus Pocus 2 will also start shooting this Summer/Fall. Oddly enough, Fletcher was originally attached to direct Disenchanted before the project was put on hold until recently.

Hocus Pocus 2 will bring back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy...

Halloween is saved! Well not this Halloween, obviously—nothing can save 2020. But next Halloween is shaping up to be a pretty good one. Bette Midler has just confirmed that Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will all be returning for the Hocus Pocus sequel as the sister-witches Winnie, Sarah, and Mary.

“They want to make a movie, they’ve asked us if we were interested and of course all of us said yes,” she told Fox 5 New York. “I’m game, I’m totally game.”

Midler, Parker, and Najimy played the Sanderson Sisters in the original 1993 classic, three witches bent on securing immortality by absorbing the youth of children—a, you know, deadly process. The original film also follows teen boy Max Dennison (Omri Katz), who moves from California to Salem, Massachusetts only to accidentally bring the trio of soul-sucking witches back to life. In the film’s conclusion,...

Ahead of their Hocus Pocus reunion at the end of the month, Bette Midler posted a photo online of herself alongside Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker in their Sanderson Sister costumes. In the original 1993 movie, the trio of actresses shined as Winnie, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson, a group of witch siblings resurrected in modern-day Salem. In a new photo posted to Midler's Instagram page, all three actresses can be seen wearing their classic costumes, nearly three decades after they last wore them in the classic Halloween movie.

The image is advertising a one-time-only reunion special for Midler's annual "Hulaween" fundraiser. Dubbed "In Search of the Sanderson Sisters," the event is being hyped as "the best thing to happen to Halloween since Hocus Pocus and Reese's Pieces." As a virtual event, fans all over the world are welcome to purchase tickets and watch the reunion when it goes down on Oct.

When news of the Hocus Pocus sequel finally moving first broke on Collider in October 2019, it was unclear, at that point, how much of the original film’s cast would be returning. While sources said that writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo had been “tasked with finding a way to bring back the original cast of Bette Midler as Winifred, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah, and Kathy Najimy as Mary,” there haven’t been many cast-related announcements since then. Until now.

Et recently chatted with Midler about her new film, The Glorias, and the subject of the Hocus Pocus sequel came up. While Disney has yet to confirm the return of Midler, Parker, or Najimy, Midler told Et that she is “absolutely” up to reprise her Sanderson sister role, adding that “We’re just talking logistics” and “I can’t wait to fly!” Could a more official announcement be just around the corner?...

Bette Midler has confirmed the rumors that she's in negotiations to return for Hocus Pocus 2 as Winifred Sanderson, bringing us one step closer to bringing all three original witches back for the new sequel. In the original Hocus Pocus, Midler famously starred alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witche siblings known as the Sanderson Sisters. Production has since begun on a new movie sequel exclusive to the Disney+ streaming service, and while there were rumors that Midler, Parker, and Najimy would all return, the three still have yet to formally sign on.

Recently, the rumor mill reported that Midler, Parker, and Najimy had all begun talks with Disney to reprise the roles as the Sanderson Sisters. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Midler has now confirmed that such discussions are happening at the House of Mouse, suggesting that they're in the process of finalizing the details.

Ahead of their rumored return in the Disney+ sequel, the cast of Hocus Pocus will reunite for Bette Midler's annual Hulaween fundraising gala. Every year, Midler has been hosting a costume gala to help raise funds for those in need. Due to safety concerns, the gala will be held virtually this year, and this year's event will bring together all three of the original Hocus Pocus stars - Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. Scheduled for Oct. 30, full details on the reunion are still being kept under wraps, but the event is labeled as In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover.

Hocus Pocus was directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert. It stars Bette Midler, Shara Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches resurrected in modern Salem on Halloween night. In the years since its release,...

Ever since it was reported last year that Hocus Pocus was finally getting a sequel in development at Disney+, fans have been wondering if all three of the original Sanderson Sisters would be returning for the project. Played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, each actress has publicly noted an interest in returning for a sequel, but there hadn't been any word about Disney approaching the original stars to begin negotiations. This left some fans concerned that the sequel would be going in another direction by leaving the Sanderson Sisters out of the story.

Now, according to a new rumor reported by The DisInsider, each of the three original stars are now formally in talks with Disney to appear in Hocus Pocus 2. Per the publication, it hasn't been confirmed if any of them have officially signed on for the project, but discussions have reportedly taken place through Zoom meetings.

Double double toil and trouble. We already knew Disney was developing a sequel to the much-beloved classic Hocus Pocus, but now a director has been attached to the project, which is the next step in bringing the story to the big screen.

The original 1993 film was directed by Kenny Ortega (he of High School Musical fame) from a script by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris. The sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter, has Adam Shankman attached to direct. Shankman has previously directed films like Hairspray and A Walk to Remember. He is also attached to produce Disney’s Enchanted sequel, titled Disenchanted, which is presumably a thing that is still happening.

The 1993 film became a Halloween classic, despite its meager box office showing, which could partially be blamed on the fact that it was released in July rather than, you know, the Halloween season. That film featured three Salem-based witches played by Bette Midler,...

Fans will soon get a chance to return to the fantasy comedy world of "Hocus Pocus". A sequel of the 1993 hit is being developed.

The sequel will stream on Disney+, the long-awaited online streaming service from Disney, which will launch internationally on November 12.

Also Read:?Sarah Jessica Parker: I'm not a crazy shopper

"Workaholics" writer and co-producer Jen D'Angelo is on board to script the sequel, reports variety.com.

The original "Hocus Pocus" starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1693 in Salem. The witches are resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem.

As the witches try to acclimate to the 20th century, they discover that Halloween has become a holiday.

Midler, Parker and Najimy are not attached to the sequel but Disney is hopeful that they may become involved.

Tony Sokol Oct 24, 2019

Disney Plus will reek of children as Hocus Pocus sequel opens a new chapter in an ungodly book.

Sanderson sisters Sarah, Winifred, and Mary will resurrect from their second deaths, and we didn't have wait three hundred years for a virgin to light a candle. A sequel to the 1993 cult horror comedy Hocus Pocus is in development at Disney Plus, according to Collider. Workaholics' writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo is already signed to write the screenplay.

Bette Midler (The First Wives Club), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City), and Kathy Najimy (King of the Hill), who starred in the original Hocus Pocus, have not committed to a return yet. There is also no word on whether they would have lead parts or be there to hand off their broomsticks to a new generation of dark magicians.

Further reading: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Witch Familiars Explained

Directed by Kenny Ortega,...

Disney is taking another stab at developing a new incarnation of the 1993 cult classic feature Hocus Pocus, which starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. This time it’s through the Walt Disney movie studio which produced the original for the upcoming streaming platform Disney+.

The new film, now in early stages of development, will be written by TV writer producer Jen D’Angelo It is unclear whether it will be a true sequel but there is hope that Midler, Parker and Najimy could reprise their roles in some shape or form.

The Hocus Pocus followup, first reported by Collider, is consistent with Disney+’s programming strategy of mining the Disney movie library for reboots and sequels, starting with the new live-action/CGI Lady and the Tramp film, which is part of the streamer’s launch slate.

Two years ago, Disney Channel...

A sequel to the 1993 cult hit “Hocus Pocus” is in development for Disney+, with ‘Workaholics” writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo attached to write the script.

Details about the sequel’s plot are not currently known. The original film starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as three cursed witches from the 1690s who are resurrected 300 years later and must acclimate to the 20th century while performing several nefarious deeds in order to undo the curse. According to Collider, which first reported the news, D’Angelo is attempting to bring Midler, Parker, and Najimy back for the sequel, though they are not currently attached to the film.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.

Also Read: Jimmy Kimmel Says 'Hocus Pocus' Is the Real Reason Trump Hates Bette Midler (Video)

“Hocus Pocus” was directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Mick Garris...

Disney Plus has launched development of a sequel to 1993’s fantasy comedy “Hocus Pocus” with “Workaholics” writer and co-producer Jen D’Angelo on board to script.

The original “Hocus Pocus” starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1693 in Salem, Ma. The witches are are inadvertently resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem.

However, as the witches try to acclimate to the 20th Century, they discover — to their horror — that Halloween has become a holiday. Midler, Parker and Najimy are not attached to the sequel but Disney is hopeful that they may become involved.

Kenny Ortega directed the original from a script by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, based on a story by Garris and David Kirschner. Omri Katz played the young male lead, and his sister was portrayed by Thora Birch.

We may not have seen the last of the Sanderson Sisters after all, as a Hocus Pocus sequel is reportedly in the works at Disney. According to a new report from Collider, Workaholics writer and co-producer Jen D'Angelo has been hired by the House of Mouse to write the screenplay for Hocus Pocus 2. The project is intended to be a part of the company's Disney+ streaming service, but as pre-production has only just begun, there's no telling just how soon we might be able to check out the sequel on the small screen. Still, for any huge fan of the original movie, Hocus Pocus 2 alone would certainly be worth the price of a subscription.

Per the report, word is D'Angelo is expected to creatively find the right way to bring back its three lead actresses from the original movie to reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters for Hocus Pocus...

Witchy halloween classic “Hocus Pocus,” which starred powerhouse trio Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, will get a television remake from Disney Channel, Deadline reports. Original producer David Kirschner will conjure the follow-up; unfortunately none of the original cast are slated to return. “The Royals” scribe Scarlett Lacy will pen the screenplay.

The 1993 horror comedy paired Midler, Parker, and Najimy as deliciously evil trio of witchy sisters. After a group of kids accidentally resurrect the sisters, they magically return to Salem, Massachusetts from 300 years in the past. In their quest to suck the souls out of all the children in the town, they must adjust to the new world order, contending with the marvels of paved roads and electricity. It was written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, and directed by Kenny Ortega, who has directed two of Disney Channel’s biggest TV movie franchises, “High School Musical” and “Descendants.

For many horror fans, Hocus Pocus is synonymous with the Halloween season, with its tale of a talking cat, a lovable zombie, and three witches out for revenge becoming a permanent fixture in many autumn movie marathons over the years. Now, 24 years after its initial release, Hocus Pocus is potentially being reimagined as a TV movie on the Disney Channel.

Deadline reports the news of the potential Hocus Pocus "reimagining," revealing that Scarlett Lacey (The Royals) is working on a script with David Kirschner on board as an executive producer. Kirschner, a producer of the original film, also helped come up with the story of Hocus Pocus, as he told a similar tale to his children as a bedtime story. Kenny Ortega, who directed the original film from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, is not working on the reimagining.

The 1993 film featured a stellar cast whose chemistry...

Disney Channel is hoping to put a (somewhat) familiar spell on you.

The children’s cable network is developing a remake of the 1993 Walt Disney film Hocus Pocus, our sister site Deadline reports.

The original Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega, starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as three witches accidentally resurrected in Salem, Mass. The remake, to be written by Scarlett Lacey (The Royals), is expected to include an all new cast and director. David Kirschner, a producer on the original film, will serve as an Ep.

Ortega, whose recent credits include two of Disney Channel’s biggest film franchises,...

Disney Channel is in early stages of development on a Hocus Pocus TV movie, a reimagining of the 1993 cult classic Walt Disney feature, which starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. The new take is being written by Scarlett Lacey (The Royals), with David Kirschner, producer on the original movie, on board to executive produce. The 1993 film was written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, based on a story by Garris and Kirschner, and directed by zKenny…...

With the eve when the veils between worlds is at its thinnest around the corner, it’s difficult not to think of the day’s most prominently featured figure: the witch. Below is an essential viewing list, ranging in genre and targeted age group, of filmic work that showcase witches (loosely defined for our purposes) and show just how badass and horrifying these heralds of the supernatural can be.

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American Horror Story: Coven

Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk

USA, 2013

This anthology television series, which premiered last week, promises another visually stunning horrifying boundary pushing work with its third season. Coven begins by following young Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who discovers her supernatural roots in a rather gruesome incident and is then whisked off to a private school for ‘talented’ young women. Set between the present day and the 1830s, Coven promises a panoply of witch-related themes including witch hunts,...

With Eddie Murphy's Tower Heist arriving in theaters this Friday, November 4, I felt I should finally post another installment in my "I Finally Watched..." series and get to that Netflix copy of The Adventures of Pluto Nash that had been sitting on my coffee table for the last month or so. But if you're expecting a lambasting similar to what I gave Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever and Skyline, I'm sorry, that's not going to be the case. At least not entirely... No, Pluto Nash isn't good, in fact it's quite bad, but it's not bad in the way its reputation would lead you to believe. It's not offensively awful or even a film I would immediately turn to in conversation if we were discussing bad films. In fact, if you cut out a few of the sex jokes and the swearing this would play more like an innocent PG-rated film for 8-10 year-olds,...

Oy, been back from Australia for nearly a week and I'm still jet-lagged and groggy. So naturally it's a perfect time to handle a deep and existential question that has come into my mailbox: Can a science fiction movie change the world? Has a science fiction movie changed the world? Whoa, dude. I'm suddenly back in my college dorm room, with the black light on, listening to Dark Side of the Moon. That's, like, heavy, man. But it's also an interesting question, although, as with so many things, we have to define our terms. "Changing the world" is a highly fungible phrase, since, if you want to get really pedantic, any action changes the world, although generally in a highly trivial or specific manner, the effects of which may not be obvious. For example, the film The Adventures of Pluto Nash is not generally considered to be a world-changing science-fiction film.

The drawing power of Eddie Murphy is bound to be severely tested by this wildly unfunny sci-fi/action comedy, unveiled Friday without press screenings. Playing a nightclub owner on the moon, even Murphy's expert comic timing and famed charisma can't rescue this effort, which also boasts a talented cast of supporting players similarly lost in space. The inevitable boxoffice disaster is likely to result in yet another "Nutty Professor" or "Doctor Dolittle" to restore Murphy's luster.

Written by Neil Cuthbert, whose resume includes "Mystery Men" and "Hocus Pocus", the film is set on the moon in the year 2087. Pluto Nash is a smuggler-turned-nightclub owner thanks to the ill fortune of his best friend, Tony Jay Mohr). One day, Pluto is approached by a pair of hired thugs working for a mysterious gangster named Rex Crater who wants to take over his operation. When Pluto refuses to sell, he finds himself fighting for his life, aided by his beautiful new waitress Dina (Rosario Dawson) and Bruno (Randy Quaid), his bald-headed robot bodyguard nearing obsolescence.

The plot's confusing twists and turns suggest some severe editing-room cutting, as do the abbreviated appearances by a slew of talented performers, including Joe Pantoliano as the aforementioned thug, Luis Guzman as a Pluto Nash fan and victim of robot abuse who helps him out of a jam, Peter Boyle as a retired cop and Pluto's confidant, Illeana Douglas as a specialist in "body alteration" and Burt Young as a loan shark. Far more egregious are the complete wastes of Pam Grier, who plays Pluto's mother and is not even allowed to kick any butt, and John Cleese, almost literally phoning it in as the officious automated driver (seen on a video screen) of a stolen car.

Making an unbilled cameo is Alec Baldwin as a Gotti-like mobster.

The space angle, which is ostensibly what makes the picture distinctive, results in such tired satirical bits as signs advertising Trump buildings and paper money featuring the visage of Hillary Clinton (those are the jokes, folks). Murphy finds himself in the uncharacteristic position of mainly playing straight man, to little comedic effect. If he had been allowed to improvise or riff more often, some fun might have resulted, but he mostly seems hemmed in. Scoring the few laughs in the picture are Quaid as the ultra-stiff robot and Mohr as a space-age lounge singer.

Tech credits are adequate, with elaborate sets built in Montreal providing some imaginative futuristic touches. The clever soundtrack features hip-hop versions of such songs as "Blue Moon" and "Dancin' in the Moonlight".

THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH

Warner Bros. Pictures

A Castle Rock Entertainment presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment

A Bregman production

Credits:

Director: Ron Underwood

Screenwriter: Neil Cuthbert

Producers: Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman, Louis A. Stroller

Executive producer: Bruce Berman

Director of photography: Oliver Wood

Production designer: Bill Brzeski

Editors: Paul Hirsch, Alan Heim

Music: John Powell

Cast:

Pluto Nash: Eddie Murphy

Bruno: Randy Quaid

Dina Lake: Rosario Dawson

Mogan: Joe Pantoliano

Tony Francis: Jay Mohr

Felix Laranga: Luis Guzman

Belcher: James Rebhorn

Rowland: Peter Boyle

Gino: Burt Young

Miguel: Miguel A. Nunez Jr

Flura Nash: Pam Grier

James: John Cleese

Running time -- 91 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...