'Hocus Pocus 2': Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy & Anne Fletcher on How the Sequel Was a Dream Come True
They also spoke about why they had to create new costumes for the Sanderson Sisters.
Directed by Anne Fletcher, the Disney+ original movie Hocus Pocus 2 brings back the Sanderson sisters – witches Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) – nearly 30 years later. When a teenager lights the Black Flame Candle, the 17th-century troublemakers are resurrected to run amok and continue wreaking havoc all over Salem before the end of All Hallow’s Eve, leaving a trail of mayhem in their renewed quest for immortality.
During this conference for the sequel, co-stars Midler and Najimy were joined by Fletcher to talk about how this sequel was a dream come true, why this is a film that generations continue to show their families, including musical numbers, why they had to create new costumes for the sisters, and what they hope audiences will take from the sequel.
Question: Bette, did you ever think this day would finally come?BETTE MIDLER: I didn’t until the day finally came. And then, I realized, “Oh, we’re really gonna do this.” This was a dream come true, it really was. After I realized it was actually a phenomenon, I started asking people around my age, “Don’t you think they would be interested in a sequel?” This was a long time ago. This was like 15 years ago, or something like that. And here we are.
And you love a franchise.
MIDLER: I do love a franchise. I think I’m a little elderly for a franchise, at this point, but I’ll take what I can get.
Kathy, why do you think Hocus Pocus became such a classic?
KATHY NAJIMY: Other than my performance? No. I don’t think that anyone could ever decide that ahead of time, or else everybody would make that kind of movie. You just make films, and you go on to the next one. However, the audience receives it is always a surprise. There was something in this film that was The Wizard of Oz-ish, where the generation shows it to their kids, who then show it to their kids, and so on, and it becomes part of the fabric of the history of the family. I don’t think that anyone could ever predict that.
ANNE FLETCHER: I agree. I think that’s right. I think it is generational, and it’s perennial. You can watch it with your whole family.
Anne, what was your mission for the musical numbers in this?
FLETCHER: The mission, in general, is the story, honoring the first movie, carrying that into the sequel, making sure that I’m honoring these characters for the fans, and bringing it into a new generation. The musical numbers are there for story. I didn’t feel like I could compete with “I Put a Spell on You,” which Bette and Marc Shaiman wrote. That was an original song. They did the arrangement and the lyrics. I can’t compete with that, so I didn’t try. We stayed really focused on trying to stay more towards the story. We just had so many fun options of songs to choose from, and that’s where we landed. And who doesn’t wanna see Bette Midler sing?
Read about- college-student-life-insurance