"Hocus Pocus" Remake Is Happening on Disney Channel
Someone somewhere must have lit a Black Flame Candle because it's finally happening — Hocus Pocus, AKA the best Halloween movie of all time, is getting a remake. According to Deadline, the new take on the Sanderson Sisters and their witchy hijinx will come in the form of a TV movie on Disney Channel 22 years after Winifred, Mary, and Sarah put a spell on us all.
Neither the original director, Kenny Ortega, nor the writers, Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, are involved. There's no word on who will replace Ortega (who's also the brains behind a little-known franchise called High School Musical), but we do know the new writer is Scarlett Lacey, who brought us The Royals, E!'s Gossip Girl-like treatment of Kate Middleton and company. And original producer David Kirschner will serve on the remake as an executive producer,
And now for some mixed news. Apparently, none of the original cast is involved even though the stars of the 1993 cult classic have been pretty vocal about reprising their roles for a remake or a sequel.
But while that may be disappointing for those itching to see the original Sandersons, this opens the door for actresses who would be a perfect fit for a 2017 reboot. Like this pitch-perfect Twittercast that went viral in July: After Essence put Hidden Figures stars Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Taraji P. Henson on a particularly witchy cover, Twitter user @asamantha got the ingenious idea to cast them as Winifred, Mary, and Sarah. (Or rather, Mary, Sarah, and Winifred in that order — with Janelle as the perfect fit to belt out Come Little Children.) And @asamantha didn't stop there with the spot-on reboot, throwing out Chance the Rapper as Max, Quvenzhané Wallis as Dani, Zendaya as Allison, and Kendrick Lamar as the voice of Thackery Binx.
If this happened, we'd be pretty happy making both versions of Hocus Pocus a Halloween tradition. And never fear, little children, there's still a chance for a sequel.
Related: 22 Reasons ‘Hocus Pocus’ Is the Best Halloween Movie Ever
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