View source for Hocus Pocus (1993 film)


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{{Infobox film
| name           = Hocus Pocus
| image          = Hocuspocusposter.jpg
| alt            = Three witches flying on a vacuum cleaner, the moon behind them
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[Drew Struzan]]
| director       = [[Kenny Ortega]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mick Garris]]
* Neil Cuthbert
}}
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* [[David Kirschner]]
* Mick Garris
}}
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* David Kirschner
* [[Steven Haft]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Bette Midler]]
* [[Sarah Jessica Parker]]
* [[Kathy Najimy]]
* [[Omri Katz]]
* [[Thora Birch]]
* [[Vinessa Shaw]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Hiro Narita]]
| editing        = [[Peter E. Berger]]
| music          = [[John Debney]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney Pictures]]
* [[Touchwood Pacific Partners]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]
| released       = {{Film date|1993|07|16}}
| runtime        = 96 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 96:09--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/hocus-pocus-1970-2 | title=''Hocus Pocus'' (PG) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=October 30, 1994 | access-date=June 20, 2016 | archive-date=August 12, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812111949/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/hocus-pocus-1970-2 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $28&nbsp;million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=Hocus Pocus (1993) – Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Hocus-Pocus-(1993)#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref>
| gross          = $53.2&nbsp;million<ref name="numbers"/><ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0107120/ |title= Hocus Pocus (1993) |access-date= November 3, 2024 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>
}}
'''''Hocus Pocus''''' is a 1993 American [[fantasy comedy film]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Brenner|first=Paul|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/hocus-pocus-v22697|website=[[AllMovie]]|title=Hocus Pocus (1993) – Kenny Ortega|access-date=March 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323170501/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/hocus-pocus-v22697|archive-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref> directed by [[Kenny Ortega]] from a screenplay by [[Mick Garris]] and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by [[David Kirschner]] and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of [[witches]] ([[Bette Midler]], [[Sarah Jessica Parker]], and [[Kathy Najimy]]) who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy ([[Omri Katz]]) in [[Salem, Massachusetts]], on [[Halloween]] night.

The film was released in North America on July 16, 1993, by [[Walt Disney Pictures]]. Upon its original release, it received mixed reviews from critics and was initially a [[box-office bomb]], possibly losing Disney around $16.5 million during its theatrical run. However, largely through many annual airings on [[Disney Channel]] and [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]] (formerly ABC Family, Fox Family and The Family Channel) [[31 Nights of Halloween|all throughout the month of October]], ''Hocus Pocus'' [[Sleeper hit|has been rediscovered]] by audiences, resulting in a yearly spike in home media sales of the film every Halloween season.<ref name="Vulture.com">{{cite news|last1=Adalaian|first1=Joseph|title=How ''Hocus Pocus'' Became an Enduring Halloween Hit|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/how-hocus-pocus-became-an-enduring-halloween-hit.html|work=Vulture.com|date=October 26, 2017|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-date=August 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806190905/https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/how-hocus-pocus-became-an-enduring-halloween-hit.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The annual celebration of Halloween has helped make the film a [[cult classic]].<ref name="Yahoo.com">{{cite news|last1=Chaney|first1=Jen|title=The Magical Tale of How 'Hocus Pocus' Went From Box-Office Flop to Halloween Favorite|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-magical-tale-of-how-hocus-pocus-went-from-144105863.html|access-date=October 28, 2015|work=Yahoo.com|date=October 28, 2015|archive-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029011643/https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-magical-tale-of-how-hocus-pocus-went-from-144105863.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="E! Online">{{cite news|last1=Heller|first1=Corrine|title=Hocus Pocus Celebrates 25th Anniversary: How It Became a Cult Classic|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/946512/hocus-pocus-celebrates-25th-anniversary-how-it-became-a-cult-classic|access-date=October 4, 2020|work=E! Online|date=July 16, 2018|archive-date=October 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014195409/https://www.eonline.com/news/946512/hocus-pocus-celebrates-25th-anniversary-how-it-became-a-cult-classic|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film spawned a [[Hocus Pocus (franchise)|franchise]], consisting of a [[Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel|sequel novelization]], a [[Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular|theme park attraction]], a [[Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash|TV special]], and even a [[Hocus Pocus (franchise)#Hocus Pocus: As Told By Chibi (2022)|short film]]. A [[sequel]], ''[[Hocus Pocus 2]]'', written by Jen D'Angelo and directed by [[Anne Fletcher]], was released on September 30, 2022, on [[Disney+]], with a third film currently in development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Franklin |first=McKinley |date=2023-06-04 |title='Hocus Pocus 3' in Development at Disney |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/hocus-pocus-3-sequel-confirmed-development-disney-1235632580/ |access-date=2023-06-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Plot==
<!---Per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], feature film summaries are not to exceed 700 words. Current wordcount 687. Please add nothing without checking the wordcount first.---->

On October 31, 1693, in [[Salem, Massachusetts]], Thackery Binx discovers that his younger sister Emily has been kidnapped by the three [[witches]] Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson. Binx confronts the Sanderson sisters at their cottage, but not in time to save Emily, whose life force they have drained to keep themselves young. The witches punish Binx for interfering by turning him into an [[immortality|immortal]] black cat, so he must live forever with his guilt. Binx's friend Elijah rallies the townsfolk to arrest the Sandersons; they are condemned to death, but Winifred casts a curse during the hanging, claiming that a [[virgin]] will light the Black-Flame Candle in the cottage on a day when the [[full moon]] and [[All Hallows' Eve]] coincide, resurrecting the sisters. Binx decides to try to thwart the witches' plans.

Three centuries later, Max Dennison, who has recently moved to Salem from [[Los Angeles]], reluctantly takes his younger sister Dani out [[trick-or-treating]]. They meet up with his new classmate Allison Watts, on whom he has a crush.  Max, Dani and Allison visit the former Sanderson cottage, now an abandoned museum, where Max inadvertently resurrects the witches by lighting the Black-Flame Candle. The witches attempt to suck out Dani's soul, but Max intervenes. Binx arrives and reveals that he can talk; following Binx's instructions, Max steals Winifred's [[spellbook]] and the children flee to a cemetery, which the witches cannot step into as it is [[consecrated ground|hallowed ground]].  From a distance, Winifred raises her former fiancé, Billy Butcherson, from his grave and sends him after the children, forcing them to leave the cemetery. Winifred also reveals to her sisters that, unless they can suck the life out of at least one child, the three of them will turn to dust when the sun rises.

Max, Dani, and Allison hurry to a [[Halloween party]] that most of the town's adults are attending. Max tries to warn his parents and the other adults of the danger, but the witches take the stage and use a performance of "[[I Put a Spell on You]]" to enchant the partying adults to dance until they die. Binx and the three children then lure the witches into the local high school's [[Kiln|pottery kiln]] and burn them alive; the witches temporarily disintegrate, but the curse revives them after the children have gone.

Not realizing that the witches have survived, Max and Allison open the spellbook, hoping to reverse the curse on Binx. This action allows the witches to find the children, abduct Binx and Dani, and retrieve the spellbook. Sarah uses her [[siren (mythology)|singing]] to lure all of Salem's children to the Sanderson cottage; however, Max and Allison rescue Dani and Binx by briefly tricking the witches into believing that [[Daylight saving time|the sun has risen an hour early]].

Back at the cemetery, Billy catches up to the children, cuts open his stitched mouth with Max's knife, and reveals that he hates Winifred and is on their side. The witches snatch Dani back after attacking the children from the air, and Winifred attempts to use their last vial of potion to suck out Dani's life force. Binx attacks Winifred to make her drop the potion, resulting in her throwing him to the ground near Emily's grave. Max catches and drinks the potion to save Dani. Winifred takes Max on her broomstick to suck out his life force, and the two of them fight in mid-air. The rest of the party fend off Mary and Sarah, while Max and Winifred fall off the broom into the hallowed ground of the cemetery, causing Winifred to turn to stone. The sun rises, turning Mary and Sarah into dust, with Winifred's stone body also exploding into dust shortly after. With the witches vanquished, Billy gratefully returns to his grave to sleep while, at the same time, Binx dies in his cat form. Dani discovers the body of Binx and begins to weep, but his spirit, now free and returned to human form due to the curse being broken, thanks the children. Emily's spirit then appears to escort her brother to the afterlife.

In a [[mid-credits scene]], the enchanted adults are freed from the spell and leave the Halloween party, exhausted from dancing all night. Some bullies that were earlier trapped in the Sanderson museum still wait in a cage to be freed, while the living eye on the witches' spellbook opens and looks around, suggesting [[Hocus Pocus 2|the Sanderson Sisters may return.]]

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Bette Midler]] as Winifred "Winnie" Sanderson, the buck-toothed eldest of the sisters, and the most intelligent and powerful witch in the family
* [[Sarah Jessica Parker]] as Sarah Sanderson, the most beautiful but dim-witted sister and youngest witch who uses her siren-like voice to lure in children
* [[Kathy Najimy]] as Mary Sanderson, the middle sister who can smell out children
* [[Omri Katz]] as Maximilian "Max" Dennison, a sarcastic and smart-aleck virgin teenager from Los Angeles who has recently moved to [[Salem, Massachusetts]]
* [[Thora Birch]] as Danielle "Dani" Dennison, Max's 8-year-old snarky sister who loves Halloween
* [[Vinessa Shaw]] as Allison Watts, Max's love interest and classmate
* [[Charles Rocket]] as David "Dave" Dennison, Max and Dani's father
* [[Stephanie Faracy]] as Jennifer "Jenny" Dennison, Max and Dani's mother
* [[Sean Murray (actor)|Sean Murray]] as Thackery Binx, a kindhearted intelligent teenage boy from 1693 cursed to live as an immortal black cat
** [[Jason Marsden]] as voice of Thackery Binx <ref>{{cite web |last=Fallon |first=Kevin |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/hocus-pocus-turns-20-meet-the-voice-behind-binx-the-talking-cat |title='Hocus Pocus' Turns 20: Meet the Voice Behind Binx the Talking Cat |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=July 17, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717182012/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/31/hocus-pocus-turns-20-meet-the-voice-behind-binx-the-talking-cat.html |archive-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Kathleen Freeman]] as Miss Olin, a teacher at Jacob Bailey High School
* [[Doug Jones (actor)|Doug Jones]] as William "Billy" Butcherson, Winifred's love interest who was poisoned by her in 1693 and resurrected as a zombie 300 years later. Karyn Malchus performs Billy when headless.
* Amanda Shepherd as Emily Binx, Thackery's little sister and 1693 victim of the Sanderson sisters
* [[Larry Bagby]] as Ernie "Ice", a teenage bully in 20th-century Salem
* Tobias Jelinek as Jay, a teenage bully in 20th-century Salem and Ice's best friend
* Steve Voboril as Elijah Morris, a friend of Thackery's in 1693
* [[Norbert Weisser]] as Mr. Binx, Thackery and Emily's father in 1693
* Joseph Malone as a singer at the party
* [[Garry Marshall]] as Master Devil (uncredited), an unsuspecting homeowner in 20th-century Salem<ref name="EW1">{{Cite magazine |last=Nolfi |first=Joey |title='Hocus Pocus 2' honors Garry and Penny Marshall in meta Easter Egg scene |url=https://ew.com/movies/hocus-pocus-2-garry-and-penny-marshall-easter-egg-scene/ |access-date=2022-10-09 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|language=en}}</ref> 
* [[Penny Marshall]] as Medusa Lady (uncredited), an unsuspecting homeowner in 20th-century Salem<ref name="EW1"/>
}}

== Production ==
=== Development ===
In the 1994 TV prequel ''Hocus Pocus: Begin the Magic'', and on the film's [[Blu-ray]] release, producer [[David Kirschner]] explains how he came up with the idea for the film one night. He and his young daughter were sitting outside and his neighbor's black cat strayed by. Kirschner invented a tale of how the Sanderson Sisters came about, stemming from the Winifred Brood.

''Hocus Pocus'' started life as a script by [[Mick Garris]], that was bought by [[Walt Disney Pictures]] in 1984. The film's working title was ''Disney's Halloween House''; it was much darker and scarier, and its protagonists were all 12-year-olds. Garris and Kirschner pitched it to [[Steven Spielberg]]'s [[Amblin Entertainment]]; Spielberg saw Disney as a competitor to Amblin in the family film market at the time and refused to co-produce a film with his "rival."<ref name=":0" />

=== Writing ===
Various rewrites were made to the script to make the film more comedic and made two of its young protagonists into teenagers; however, production was stalled several times until 1992, when Bette Midler expressed interest in the script and the project immediately went forward.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://postmortempodcast.libsyn.com/25th-anniversary-of-hocus-pocus|title=Post Mortem with Mick Garris: 25th Anniversary of Hocus Pocus!|website=postmortempodcast.libsyn.com|language=en|access-date=October 8, 2018|archive-date=October 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009013346/https://postmortempodcast.libsyn.com/25th-anniversary-of-hocus-pocus|url-status=live}}</ref> Midler, who plays the central antagonist of the film (originally written for [[Cloris Leachman]]),<ref name=":0" /> is quoted as saying that '''''Hocus Pocus''''' "was the most fun I'd had in my career up to that point".

=== Casting ===
Ortega met with [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] about playing the role of Max after being "impressed" by his audition but he was too busy to take on the role as he was working on ''[[What's Eating Gilbert Grape]]''.<ref name="LeoSource1">{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/510151/leonardo-dicaprio-reveals-what-movie-he-turned-down-even-after-being-offered-more-money-than-i-ever-dreamed-of|title=Leonardo DiCaprio Reveals What Movie He Turned Down Even After Being Offered "More Money Than I Ever Dreamed Of"|publisher=E! Online|date=February 12, 2014|access-date=December 1, 2016|archive-date=December 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202102711/http://www.eonline.com/ca/news/510151/leonardo-dicaprio-reveals-what-movie-he-turned-down-even-after-being-offered-more-money-than-i-ever-dreamed-of|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="LeoSource2">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/leonardo-dicaprio-hocus-pocus_n_4773492.html|title=Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down 'Hocus Pocus' And 'More Money Than I Ever Dreamed Of'|publisher=Huffington Post|date=February 12, 2014|access-date=December 1, 2016|archive-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609175035/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/leonardo-dicaprio-hocus-pocus_n_4773492.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4989996/leonardo-dicaprio-hocus-pocus-audition/|title=The Story of Leonardo DiCaprio's Hocus Pocus Audition Is Everything You Want It to Be|magazine=Time|first=Megan|last=McCluskey|date=October 19, 2017|access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref> [[Rosie O'Donnell]] was offered the role of Mary Sanderson but she declined as she did not want to play a mean witch.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/feature/rosie-odonnell-ellen-madonna-trump-queer-spotlight-1235514496/|title=Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|date=June 15, 2023|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
The film is set in [[Salem, Massachusetts]], but most of it was shot on sound stages in [[Burbank, California]]. However, its daytime scenes were filmed in Salem and [[Marblehead, Massachusetts]], during two weeks of filming with the principal cast.

[[Pioneer Village (Salem, Massachusetts)|Pioneer Village]], a recreation of early-colonial Salem, was used for the opening scenes set in 1693.<ref name="Slane"/> Other locations included [[Old Burial Hill (Marblehead, Massachusetts)|Old Burial Hill]] in Marblehead, where Max is accosted by Ice and Jay, the Old Town Hall in Salem, where the town Halloween party takes place, and Phillips Elementary School, where the witches are trapped in a kiln. The exterior of Max and Dani's house is a private residence on Ocean Avenue in Salem.<ref name="Slane">{{cite news| url=https://www.boston.com/culture/travel/2018/10/19/hocus-pocus-movie-filming-locations-in-salem-marblehead| title=A local's guide to 'Hocus Pocus', 25 years later| first=Kevin|last=Slane| publisher=www.boston.com| date=October 20, 2018| access-date=October 20, 2018| archive-date=October 20, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020014431/https://www.boston.com/culture/travel/2018/10/19/hocus-pocus-movie-filming-locations-in-salem-marblehead| url-status=live}}</ref>

== Music ==
{{main|Hocus Pocus (soundtrack){{!}}''Hocus Pocus'' (soundtrack)}}

The [[Film score|musical score]] for ''Hocus Pocus'' was composed and conducted by [[John Debney]]. [[James Horner]] was originally slated to score the film, but became unavailable at the last minute, so Debney had to score the entire film in two weeks. Even though he did not score the film, Horner came back to write the theme for Sarah (sung by Sarah Jessica Parker, more commonly known as "Come Little Children") which is featured in Intrada's Complete Edition of the score.

Debney released a promotional score through the internet containing 19 tracks from the film. Bootlegs were subsequently released across the internet, primarily because the promotional release missed the entire opening sequence music.

=== Songs ===
* "Sarah's Theme" – music by [[James Horner]]; lyrics by Brock Walsh; performed by [[Sarah Jessica Parker]]
* "[[I Put a Spell on You]]" – written by [[Jay Hawkins]] and produced and arranged by [[Marc Shaiman]]; performed by [[Bette Midler]]
* "[[Witchcraft (1957 song)|Witchcraft]]" – written by [[Cy Coleman]], [[Carolyn Leigh]]; performed by Joe Malone
* "I Put a Spell on You" – written by Jay Hawkins; performed by Joe Malone
* "Sabre Dance" – written by Aram Khachaturian, arranged by George Wilson
* Chants and Incantations – conceived and written by Brock Walsh

== Release ==
The film was theatrically released by [[Walt Disney Pictures]] in the United States and Canada on July 16, 1993. The film received mixed reviews from film critics at the time of its release.  It was not a critical or commercial success upon its release, possibly losing Disney around $16.5&nbsp;million during its theatrical run. However, largely through many annual airings on [[Disney Channel]] and [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]] (formerly ABC Family) all throughout the month of October, ''Hocus Pocus'' has been rediscovered by audiences, resulting in a yearly spike in home video sales of the film every Halloween season.<ref name="Vulture.com" /> The annual celebration of [[Halloween]] has helped make this film a [[cult classic]].<ref name="Yahoo.com" /><ref name="E! Online" />

=== Home media ===
[[Walt Disney Home Video]] released the film on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] in the United States and Canada on January 5, 1994.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hocus Pocus [VHS] |asin=6302968143}}</ref> and later to [[DVD]] on June 4, 2002.<ref name="Numbers">{{cite web |title=Hocus Pocus - DVD Sales |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1993/0HOPO-DVD.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015223453/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1993/0HOPO-DVD.php |archive-date=October 15, 2011 |access-date=November 3, 2011 |publisher=The Numbers}}</ref> Following the film's release on DVD, it has continued to show strong annual sales, raking in more than $1 million in DVD sales each October.<ref name="Numbers" /> In the mid-to-late 1990s, the film was rebroadcast annually all throughout October on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[Disney Channel]] before switching over to [[Freeform (TV channel)|ABC Family]]'s ''[[13 Nights of Halloween]]'' lineup in the 2010s. The film has continuously brought record viewing numbers to the lineup, including a 2009 broadcast watched by 2.5 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 3, 2009 |title=ABC Family's 11th annual "13 Nights of Halloween 2009" Scares Up Event-Best Deliveries |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/11/03/abc-familys-11th-annual-13-nights-of-halloween-2009-scares-up-event-best-deliveries/32465/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225221637/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/11/03/abc-familys-11th-annual-13-nights-of-halloween-2009-scares-up-event-best-deliveries/32465/ |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |access-date=October 30, 2011 |publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]]}}</ref> In 2011, an October 29 airing became the lineup's most watched program, with 2.8 million viewers.<ref name="TV by the Numbers">{{cite web |title=ABC Family's "13 Nights of Halloween 2011" Scares Up Record Crowd |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/01/abc-family%E2%80%99s-13-nights-of-halloween-2011-scares-up-record-crowd/109316/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106021806/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/01/abc-family%E2%80%99s-13-nights-of-halloween-2011-scares-up-record-crowd/109316/ |archive-date=November 6, 2011 |access-date=November 3, 2011 |publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> On September 4, 2012, the film was released on [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Upcoming Disney Catalog Releases for 2012 |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8386 |access-date=March 16, 2012 |publisher=Blu-ray.com}}</ref> Disney re-released the film on Blu-ray and Digital HD on September 2, 2018, as part of the film's 25th anniversary. The new release contains special features, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes retrospective.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 20, 2018 |title="Hocus Pocus," "Nightmare Before Christmas" 25th Anniversary Blu-rays announced by Disney for September |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2018/08/hocus-pocus-nightmare-before-christmas-25th-anniversary-blu-ray-releases-announced-by-disney-for-september/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821153745/https://insidethemagic.net/2018/08/hocus-pocus-nightmare-before-christmas-25th-anniversary-blu-ray-releases-announced-by-disney-for-september/ |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |access-date=August 21, 2018 |publisher=Insidethemagic.net}}</ref> On 15 September 2020, the film was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] in [[4K resolution]] with [[High dynamic range|HDR]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hocus Pocus (4K/UHD) |url=https://www.target.com/p/hocus-pocus-4k-uhd/-/A-80512979 |access-date=10 August 2021 |website=Target}}</ref> The movie has grossed $40,627,466 in domestic weekly DVD sales and $16,588,298 in weekly Blu-ray sales in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hocus Pocus (1993) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Hocus-Pocus-(1993)#tab=video-sales |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref>

''Hocus Pocus'' was made available to stream on [[Disney+]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crimmins |first=Tricia |date=October 14, 2019 |title=Disney's back catalog is coming to Disney+. Here are all the titles. |url=https://mashable.com/article/disney-plus-streaming-catalog |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=[[Mashable]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Whip Media]], which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its [[TV Time]] app, calculated that ''Hocus Pocus'' was the seventh most-streamed movie in the U.S. during the week of October 31, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=2021-11-02 |title='Dune,' 'You' Again Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/dune-you-again-top-weekly-whip-media-streaming-charts/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=[[Media Play News]] |language=en-US}}</ref> It ranked second from September 30 to October 2, 2022, seventh during the week of October 9, 2022, and ninth during the week of October 23, 2022.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Disney+'s 'Hocus Pocus 2' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Movies Chart |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/disney-plus-hocus-pocus-2-tops-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-movies-chart/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=[[Media Play News]] |language=en-US}}|2={{Cite web |last=Burch |first=Sean |date=October 6, 2022 |title='Hocus Pocus 2' Delivers Double Win for Disney+ on This Week's Streaming Movie Ranker {{!}} Charts |url=https://www.thewrap.com/top-movies-streaming-hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus/ |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=[[TheWrap]] |language=en-US}}|3={{Cite web |last=Burch |first=Sean |date=October 14, 2022 |title=Disney+'s 'Werewolf by Night' Leads a Horror-Filled Streaming Movie Ranker {{!}} Chart |url=https://www.thewrap.com/top-movies-streaming-disney-plus-werewolf-by-night/ |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=[[TheWrap]] |language=en-US}}|4={{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 11, 2022 |title='Werewolf by Night,' 'She-Hulk' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/werewolf-by-night-she-hulk-attorney-at-law-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=[[Media Play News]] |language=en-US}}|5={{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=2022-10-25 |title='The School for Good and Evil,' 'Andor' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/the-school-for-good-and-evil-andor-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=[[Media Play News]] |language=en-US}}
}}</ref>

== Reception ==

=== Box office ===
''Hocus Pocus'' was released July 16, 1993, and came in fourth place on its opening weekend behind ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'', ''[[In the Line of Fire]]'' and ''[[The Firm (1993 film)|The Firm]]'', grossing $8.1&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fox|first=David|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-20-ca-14806-story.html|title=Weekend Box Office : So Far, This Is Summer to Beat|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 20, 1993|access-date=July 17, 2019|archive-date=July 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717051209/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-20-ca-14806-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It dropped from the top ten ranking after two weeks of release.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2153350657/weekend/|title=Hocus Pocus (1993) – Weekend Box Office Results|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> The film was released the same day as ''[[Free Willy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/calendar/1993-07-16/|title=Upcoming Movies in Theaters|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> According to Kirschner, Disney chose to release ''Hocus Pocus'' in July to take advantage of children being off school for the summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcPc21XI-mI&list=PLRxFhP-1mXPvH0KTW7l823uQc5B4kMlyh |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/pcPc21XI-mI |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Interview with David Kirschner|date=July 18, 2018|website=YouTube|access-date=February 26, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In October 2020, amid the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], ''Hocus Pocus'' was re-released in 2,570 theaters. It made $1.9&nbsp;million over the weekend, finishing second behind ''[[Tenet|Tenet]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hocus-pocus-box-office-rerelease-1234791512/ |title='Hocus Pocus' Leads Box Office Nearly Three Decades After Original Release |date=October 3, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2020 |archive-date=October 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004014803/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hocus-pocus-box-office-rerelease-1234791512/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=October 4, 2020 |url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/tenet-hocus-pocus-weekend-box-office-cineworld-regal-shutdown-1234591012/ |title='Tenet' Reaches $45M+ Domestic, $307M WW Before Possible Cineworld & Partial Regal Shutdown – Sunday Final |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=October 4, 2020 |archive-date=October 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005183208/https://deadline.com/2020/10/tenet-hocus-pocus-weekend-box-office-cineworld-regal-shutdown-1234591012/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The following two weekends it made $1.2&nbsp;million and $756,000, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |date= October 11, 2020 |last= Brueggemann |first= Tom |title= 'Tenet' No Longer #1 as 'The War With Grandpa' Wins Weekend Box Office With $3.6 Million |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/tenet-the-war-with-grandpa-wins-weekend-box-office-1234592050/ |website= [[IndieWire]] |access-date= October 11, 2020 |archive-date= October 12, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201012093705/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/tenet-the-war-with-grandpa-wins-weekend-box-office-1234592050/ |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=October 18, 2020 |url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/the-honest-thief-2-hearts-jacob-elordi-weekend-box-office-1234598767/ |title=Liam Neeson Action Pic 'Honest Thief' Nabbing $4M+ Total By Sunday; 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Awakens – Box Office |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017190341/https://deadline.com/2020/10/the-honest-thief-2-hearts-jacob-elordi-weekend-box-office-1234598767/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Hocus Pocus'' has an approval rating of 42% based on 65 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Harmlessly hokey yet never much more than mediocre, ''Hocus Pocus'' is a muddled family-friendly effort that fails to live up to the talents of its impressive cast."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1045250-hocus_pocus/|title=Hocus Pocus (1993)|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=November 15, 2025|archive-date=December 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229101615/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1045250-hocus_pocus|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite Metacritic|id=hocus-pocus|type=movie|title=Hocus Pocus Reviews|access-date=October 19, 2021}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home – Cinemascore|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|access-date=July 13, 2020|website=CinemaScore|archive-date=January 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Gene Siskel]], reviewing for ''[[The Chicago Tribune]]'', remarked that the film was a "dreadful witches' comedy with the only tolerable moment coming when Bette Midler presents a single song".<ref>{{cite news|last=Siskel|first=Gene|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-07-16-9307160021-story.html|title='Free Willy' Is For Movie Dieters – It's Lite|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 16, 1993|access-date=July 17, 2019|archive-date=July 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717051210/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-07-16-9307160021-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] in ''[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film one star out of a possible four, writing that it was "a confusing cauldron in which there is great activity but little progress, and a lot of hysterical shrieking".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hocus-pocus-1993|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|title=Hocus Pocus|date=July 16, 1993|website=Roger Ebert.com|access-date=October 25, 2019|archive-date=October 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024222159/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hocus-pocus-1993|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Miami Herald]]'' called it "a pretty lackluster affair", adding this comment: "Despite the triple-threat actress combo, ''Hocus Pocus'' won't be the ''[[Sister Act]]'' of 1993. There are a lot of gotta-sees this summer, and this isn't one of them."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4CDD0575B554D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Hocus Pocus starts strong, goes flat|date=July 16, 1993|access-date=August 9, 2010|url-access=registration|work=The Miami Herald|page=7G|archive-date=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024073839/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4CDD0575B554D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the film "has flashes of visual stylishness but virtually no grip on its story".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/16/movies/review-film-bette-midler-queen-witch-in-heavy-makeup.html|last=Maslin|first=Janet|title=Review/Film; Bette Midler, Queen Witch in Heavy Makeup|date=July 16, 1993|access-date=August 9, 2010|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=July 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727031558/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/16/movies/review-film-bette-midler-queen-witch-in-heavy-makeup.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ty Burr]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a C−, calling it "acceptable scary-silly kid fodder that adults will find only mildly insulting. Unless they're Bette Midler fans. In which case it's depressing as hell"; and stating that while Najimy and Parker "have their moments of ramshackle comic inspiration, and the passable special effects should keep younger campers transfixed [...] [T]he sight of the Divine Miss M. mugging her way through a cheesy supernatural kiddie comedy is, to say the least, dispiriting."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/07/23/hocus-pocus-2/|last=Burr|first=Ty|title=Hocus Pocus Review|date=July 23, 1993|access-date=October 28, 2011|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-date=October 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021055831/http://ew.com/article/1993/07/23/hocus-pocus-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kim Newman]] of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' gave the film two stars out of five, writing, "Trying to break expectations isn't always a wise idea and here Disney show how not to do it. With this supposed-family movie, they disappoint on nearly every level. The plot is weak, the action poor and it's got Bette Midler, simply dreadful."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hocus-pocus-review/|last=Newman|first=Kim|title=Hocus Pocus Review|date=|access-date=October 9, 2022|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| rowspan="2" | Awards Circuit Community Awards
| Best Costume Design
| Mary E. Vogt 
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Best Makeup & Hairstyling
| [[John M. Elliott Jr.]], John Calpin and [[Steve La Porte]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="11" | 1994
| rowspan="6" | [[20th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Bette Midler]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costumes]]
| Mary E. Vogt
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]]
| ''Hocus Pocus''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| Buena Vista Visual Effects, [[Matte World Digital]], [[Rhythm & Hues]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Kathy Najimy]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Sarah Jessica Parker]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="5" | [[15th Youth in Film Awards|Youth in Film Awards]]
| Best Youth Actor in a Voice-Over Role: TV or Movie
| [[Jason Marsden]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Comedy
| [[Omri Katz]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Sean Murray (actor)|Sean Murray]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Comedy
| [[Thora Birch]]
| {{Won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Christina Vidal]] for ''[[Life with Mikey]]''}}
|-
| [[Vinessa Shaw]]
| {{Nominated}}
|}

== Legacy ==
[[File:Bette Midler 2015 (2).jpg|thumb|Midler dressed as Winifred Sanderson during her [[Divine Intervention Tour]] in 2015]]
Over the years, the film has achieved [[cult status]].<ref name="International">{{cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/five-reasons-why-hocus-pocus-one-greatest-cult-classic-films-325484|title=Five Reasons Why 'Hocus Pocus' is One of the Greatest Cult Classic Films|work=International Business Times|access-date=November 3, 2011|date=October 21, 2011|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107025707/https://www.ibtimes.com/five-reasons-why-hocus-pocus-one-greatest-cult-classic-films-325484|url-status=live|author-first1=Cavan|author-last1=Sieczkowski}}</ref><ref name="TV by the Numbers" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.celebuzz.com/2011-10-31/cast-of-cult-halloween-hit-hocus-pocus-where-are-they-now-photos/|title=Hocus Pocus – Where are they now?|work=Celebuzz |date=October 31, 2011 |publisher=Oh No They Didn't|access-date=November 3, 2011|archive-date=November 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103235756/http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-10-31/cast-of-cult-halloween-hit-hocus-pocus-where-are-they-now-photos/|url-status=live}}</ref> In its 25th anniversary year in 2018, the first week of ''Hocus Pocus'' viewings on Freeform averaged 8.2&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/HOCUS-POCUS-on-Freeform-Reaches-82-Million-Viewers-in-Its-First-Week-20181012| title=Hocus Pocus on Freeform Reaches 8.2 Million Viewers in its First Week| publisher=Broadway World| date=October 12, 2018| access-date=October 13, 2018| archive-date=October 14, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014010155/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/HOCUS-POCUS-on-Freeform-Reaches-82-Million-Viewers-in-Its-First-Week-20181012| url-status=live|author-first1=Kaitlin|author-last1=Milligan}}</ref> A special called the "Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash" was filmed at the [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]] and features interviews with members of the cast, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, as well as a costume contest hosted by [[Sharon Osbourne|Sharon]] and [[Kelly Osbourne]]. It aired on Freeform October 20, 2018.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wral.com/a-hocus-pocus-25th-anniversary-reunion-special-is-coming-to-freeform/17888022/| title=A 'Hocus Pocus' 25th Anniversary Reunion Special is Coming to Freeform| publisher=wral.com| date=October 1, 2018| access-date=October 13, 2018| archive-date=October 3, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003005349/https://www.wral.com/a-hocus-pocus-25th-anniversary-reunion-special-is-coming-to-freeform/17888022/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/bette-midler-joins-freeforms-hocus-pocus-reunion-special/ar-BBOzpi5?li=AA2qN5v| title=Bette Midler joins Freeform's Hocus Pocus reunion special| author=Samantha Highfill| publisher=Entertainment Weekly| date=October 18, 2018| access-date=October 18, 2018| archive-date=October 19, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019041044/https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/bette-midler-joins-freeforms-hocus-pocus-reunion-special/ar-BBOzpi5?li=AA2qN5v| url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2011, the [[Houston Symphony]] celebrated various horror and Halloween classics, including ''Hocus Pocus'', with "The Hocus Pocus Pops".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/courier/living/pavilion-celebrates-halloween-with-hocus-pocus-pops/article_389274a0-c421-5277-aca8-ffd0ba248fa1.html|title=Pavilion celebrates Halloween with Hocus Pocus Pops|publisher=Your Houston News|access-date=November 3, 2011|archive-date=October 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023214252/http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/living/pavilion-celebrates-halloween-with-hocus-pocus-pops/article_389274a0-c421-5277-aca8-ffd0ba248fa1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On October 19, 2013, [[Disney D23|D23]] held a special screening of ''Hocus Pocus'' at the [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in [[Burbank, California]], to honor the 20th anniversary of the film. Nine of the cast and crew gathered for the screening, and hundreds of D23 members attended. Returning members included Kathy Najimy, David Kirschner, Thora Birch, Doug Jones, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stanek |first=Billy |date=October 22, 2013 |url=https://d23.com/hocus-pocus-recap/ |title=D23 Members Run Amok at the Hocus Pocus 20th Anniversary Screening |publisher=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]] |access-date=January 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213140236/https://d23.com/hocus-pocus-recap/ |archive-date=February 13, 2014}}</ref>

During her [[Divine Intervention Tour]] in 2015, Bette Midler appeared on stage dressed as Winifred Sanderson. Her [[Harlettes]] appeared with her dressed as Mary and Sarah, and the three of them performed the film's version of "I Put a Spell on You."<ref>{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Nick|title=Hey, '90s Kids! Watch Bette Midler Resurrect 'Hocus Pocus' in Concert|url=https://www.ifc.com/2015/06/bette-midler-resurrects-the-sanderson-sisters-on-stage-for-a-hocus-pocus-number|publisher=[[IFC (American TV channel)|IFC]]|date=June 24, 2015|access-date=September 19, 2015|archive-date=September 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911084924/http://www.ifc.com/fix/2015/06/bette-midler-resurrects-the-sanderson-sisters-on-stage-for-a-hocus-pocus-number|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On September 15, 2015, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was introduced at the [[Magic Kingdom]] as a part of [[Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party]]. The show introduces new actresses as the Sanderson Sisters who try to make a villain party and summon or attract various [[Disney villain]]s in the process.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Snetiker|first1=Marc|title='Hocus Pocus' stage show will haunt Disney World this Halloween|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/27/hocus-pocus-stage-show-will-haunt-disney-world-this-halloween|access-date=September 16, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 27, 2015|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904214335/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/27/hocus-pocus-stage-show-will-haunt-disney-world-this-halloween|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2016, entertainment critic Aaron Wallace published ''Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic,'' the first full-length book written about the film. The book includes a foreword by [[Thora Birch]] and afterword by [[Mick Garris]]. Billed as a "lighthearted but scholarly look at the film", the book analyzes the film's major themes, which it identifies as festivity, nostalgia, home, horror, virginity, feminism, Broadway-style musical moments, sibling rivalry, "Spielbergian" filmmaking style, Disney villain traditions, and more. Wallace also analyzes [[Walt Disney World]]'s Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular as part of the film's legacy and includes "the largest collection of ''Hocus Pocus'' fun facts and trivia ever assembled", complete with extensive endnote citations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2016/08/30/author-aaron-wallace-announces-first-ever-book-dedicated-disneys-hocus-pocus/|title=Author Aaron Wallace Announces First-Ever Book Dedicated to Disney's "Hocus Pocus" - LaughingPlace.com|first=Laughing Place Disney|last=Newsdesk|date=August 30, 2016|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924031012/http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2016/08/30/author-aaron-wallace-announces-first-ever-book-dedicated-disneys-hocus-pocus/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://attractionsmagazine.com/new-book-hocus-pocus-now-available/|title=New book about 'Hocus Pocus' now available|date=September 21, 2016|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924025249/http://attractionsmagazine.com/new-book-hocus-pocus-now-available/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaronwallaceonline.com/book/hocus-pocus-book-thinking-fan-disney/|title=Hocus Pocus in Focus: A Hocus Pocus Book for The Thinking Fan|work=Aaron Wallace Online: Books, Podcasts, and Reviews |access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925085949/http://www.aaronwallaceonline.com/book/hocus-pocus-book-thinking-fan-disney/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The City of Salem has celebrated its connection to ''Hocus Pocus'', while local filming sites have become an attraction for fans as the film's legacy has grown over the years. In 2018, the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, an annual Salem festival held every October, was ''Hocus Pocus''-themed in honor of the film's 25th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.salem-chamber.org/haunted-happenings-grand-parade| title=Haunted Happenings Grand Parade| publisher=Salem Chamber of Commerce| access-date=October 20, 2018| archive-date=October 21, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021065913/http://www.salem-chamber.org/haunted-happenings-grand-parade| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://salem.wickedlocal.com/news/20181005/salem-haunted-happenings-parade-ushers-in-2018--halloween-season| title=Salem Haunted Happenings parade ushers in 2018 Halloween season| author=William J. Dowd| publisher=salem.wickedlocal.com| date=October 5, 2018| access-date=October 20, 2018| archive-date=October 21, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021024922/http://salem.wickedlocal.com/news/20181005/salem-haunted-happenings-parade-ushers-in-2018--halloween-season}}</ref> A representative for Destination Salem also reported a huge uptick in tourism for the 25th anniversary year, stating: "There's always been a ‘Hocus Pocus’ component to the visitors to Salem, especially in October. But it's like the film's following grows every year.”<ref name="Slane"/>

The cast reunited for "In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover", which aired on October 30, 2020. The one-hour broadcast was virtual due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and the proceeds will go to the [[New York Restoration Project]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rude|first=Mey|date=October 19, 2020|title=Bette Midler Teases Sanderson Sisters Reunion in ''Hocus Pocus'' Special|url=https://www.advocate.com/film/2020/10/19/bette-midler-teases-sanderson-sisters-reunion-hocus-pocus-special|magazine=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011629/https://www.advocate.com/film/2020/10/19/bette-midler-teases-sanderson-sisters-reunion-hocus-pocus-special|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cary|first=Alice|date=October 20, 2020|title=Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Us Back To Her 'Hocus Pocus' Days With A Fashion Treat|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-throwback|magazine=British Vogue|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031231306/https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-throwback|url-status=live}}</ref> Members of the cast who participated were Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones.<ref name=Variety201030>{{cite magazine|last=Oganesyan|first=Natalie|date=October 30, 2020|title=Bette Midler, Meryl Streep and Mariah Carey Featured in Starry 'Hocus Pocus' Reunion Fundraiser|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/bette-midler-meryl-streep-mariah-carey-hocus-pocus-reunion-1234820349/|magazine=Variety|access-date=October 31, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031045428/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/bette-midler-meryl-streep-mariah-carey-hocus-pocus-reunion-1234820349/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other notable participants of the benefit included [[Meryl Streep]], [[Mariah Carey]], [[Cassandra Peterson]], [[Glenn Close]], [[Billy Crystal]], [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], [[Todrick Hall]], [[Jennifer Hudson]], [[Anjelah Johnson-Reyes]], [[Michael Kors]], [[Adam Lambert]], [[George Lopez]], [[Alex Moffat]], [[Martin Short]], [[Sarah Silverman]], [[John Stamos]], [[Kenan Thompson]], [[Sophie von Haselberg]], and [[Bella Hadid]].<ref name=Variety201030/>

In 2022, [[Disney Channel]] ran a short titled ''[[Hocus Pocus (franchise)#Hocus Pocus: As Told By Chibi (2022)|Hocus Pocus: As Told By Chibi]]''. This continues the trend started by ''[[Big Hero 6: The Series]]'' shorts spin-off ''[[List of Big Hero 6: The Series episodes#Big Chibi 6 The Shorts|Big Chibi 6 The Shorts]]'' and continued with ''[[Amphibia (TV series)|Amphibia]]'', ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'', ''[[Halloweentown (film series)|Halloweentown]]'', ''[[Big City Greens]]'', ''[[DuckTales (2017 TV series)|DuckTales]]'', ''[[Tangled: The Series]]'', ''[[Descendants (franchise)|Descendants]]'', ''[[Moana (2016 film)|Moana]]'', ''[[Zombies (franchise)|Zombies]]'', ''[[The Ghost and Molly McGee]]'', ''[[High School Musical (franchise)|High School Musical]]'', ''[[The Owl House]]'', and ''[[Hamster & Gretel]]'' as ''Chibi Tiny Tales''. The short was released on October 15, 2022, simplifies the plot of the first ''Hocus Pocus''.<ref>{{Citation |title=Hocus Pocus: As Told By Chibi {{!}} Chibi Tiny Tales {{!}} Disney Channel Animation | date=October 15, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBTXJ-5FZY4 |access-date=June 19, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The Sanderson Sisters appear as playable characters in Disney video games such as ''[[Disney Magic Kingdoms]]''<ref>{{Citation |title=Update 63: Hocus Pocus 2 {{!}} Update Preview | date=October 11, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHqkmQlK-10 |access-date=2023-07-05 |language=en}}</ref> and ''Disney Heroes: Battle Mode''.

In 2023, Disney re-released the film in select theaters on October 6 to commemorate its 30th anniversary. In 2024, Disney re-released the film in select theaters again on October 18 to celebrate its 30th anniversary and the growing popularity of the movie.

=== Sequel ===
{{Main|Hocus Pocus 2{{!}}''Hocus Pocus 2''}}
In a November 2014 interview, Bette Midler said that she was ready and willing to return for a sequel, and she also said that her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy were also interested in returning for a sequel. Midler stressed the fact that Disney had yet to greenlight any sequel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/bette-midler-sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-2-sequel/|title=Bette Midler & Co-Stars Are Up for 'Hocus Pocus 2' |first=Michael |last=Kennedy |work=[[Screen Rant]]|date=November 8, 2014|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627151708/https://screenrant.com/bette-midler-sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-2-sequel/|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2016, Sarah Jessica was asked the prospects of a sequel and said "I would love that. I think we've been very vocal that we're very keen."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/07/sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-2 |title=Sarah Jessica Parker on 'Hocus Pocus 2': "I Would Love That" |date=October 7, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=December 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226191353/https://ew.com/article/2016/10/07/sarah-jessica-parker-hocus-pocus-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> 
        
In October 2019, a sequel which was going to be developed as a [[Disney+]] exclusive film was announced, with a screenplay which was written by Jen D'Angelo.<ref name="Sneider">{{Cite web |url=https://collider.com/hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus-writer-jen-dangelo/|title=Exclusive: 'Hocus Pocus 2' Moving Forward at Disney+ with Writer Jen D'Angelo |last=Sneider |first=Jeff |date=October 23, 2019 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023234241/https://collider.com/hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus-writer-jen-dangelo/|url-status=live}}</ref> Midler, Parker, and Najimy all confirmed their interest in reprising their roles.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/2019/11/01/hocus-pocus-2-sequel-cast-returning/ |title=Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy confirm interest in Hocus Pocus sequel |last=Nolfi |first=Joey |date=November 1, 2019 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=November 2, 2019 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101223518/https://ew.com/movies/2019/11/01/hocus-pocus-2-sequel-cast-returning/|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2020, [[Adam Shankman]] signed on to direct.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hocus-pocus-2-adam-shankman-disney-plus-1203524024/ |title=Adam Shankman to Direct 'Hocus Pocus 2' at Disney Plus (Exclusive) |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=March 4, 2020 |website=Variety |access-date=April 11, 2020 |archive-date=April 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411162332/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hocus-pocus-2-adam-shankman-disney-plus-1203524024/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/hocus-pocus-2-director-adam-shankman-disney-plus/|title='Hairspray' Helmer Adam Shankman to Direct 'Hocus Pocus 2' for Disney+ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |last=Sneider |first=Jeff |date=March 4, 2020 |access-date=March 4, 2020|archive-date=March 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305172737/https://collider.com/hocus-pocus-2-director-adam-shankman-disney-plus/|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2021, it was confirmed that Midler, Parker, and Najimy would reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters and it was announced that the film would be released in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 20, 2021 |author=Anthony D'Alessandro | website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/hocus-pocus-2-bette-midler-sarah-jessica-parker-kathy-najimy-returning-1234761174/ |title=Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy Returning For Disney's 'Hocus Pocus 2' |access-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hocus-pocus-sequel-2-disney-bette-midler-sarah-jessica-parker-kathy-najimy-1234956612/|title=Disney+ Sets 'Hocus Pocus' Sequel for 2022| website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=May 20, 2021|author-last1=Couch|author-first1=Aaron|access-date=May 20, 2021}}</ref> The film was released on September 30, 2022. ''Hocus Pocus 3'' was announced to be in development as of June 4, 2023.

=== Possible musical adaptation ===
During an interview on ''The Big Seance Podcast'' in September 2021, creator David Kirschner revealed that a Broadway adaptation of the original film is in development.<ref>{{cite podcast|url=https://bigseancepodcast.com/195-hocus-pocus-and-the-sequel-with-creatorwriter-and-executive-producer-david-kirschner-big-seance|title=195. Hocus Pocus and the Sequel with Creator/Writer and Executive Producer David Kirschner|website=The Big Seance Podcast|date=September 2, 2021|first=Patrick|last=Keller|access-date=May 3, 2023}}</ref> During an interview leading up to the release of ''Hocus Pocus 2'' in September 2022, he stated that "I just want to pinch myself, and I’m just afraid that I’m going to be nine years old and on a [[Little League]] field again. But it’s just so wonderful just to stand back and watch all of this ... I think you’re going to be very pleased." Kenny Ortega revealed to ''[[Forbes]]'' in 2020 his interest in possibly returning to direct the production, saying "I think a ''Hocus Pocus'' musical would be great fun, really great fun."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-30 |last=Walsh |first=Savannah |title=A ''Hocus Pocus'' Musical May Soon Run Amok on Broadway |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/a-hocus-pocus-musical-may-soon-run-amok-on-broadway |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=2022-10-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-15 |last=Thompson |first=Simon |title=Kenny Ortega Talks Disney's 'Hocus Pocus' And His Dream Of Turning It Into A Broadway Musical |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2020/09/15/kenny-ortega-disney-hocus-pocus-broadway-musical-sequel-halloween/ |website=Forbes |access-date=2022-10-14}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of films set around Halloween]]
* [[List of American films of 1993]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Hocus Pocus}}
{{Kenny Ortega}}
{{David Kirschner}}

[[Category:Hocus Pocus]]
[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:1993 children's films]]
[[Category:1993 comedy films]]
[[Category:1993 fantasy films]]
[[Category:1993 American films]]
[[Category:1990s children's comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:1990s dark fantasy films]]
[[Category:1993 English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:American dark fantasy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American films about Halloween]]
[[Category:American supernatural comedy films]]
[[Category:American zombie comedy films]]
[[Category:The Devil in film]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about cats]]
[[Category:Films about curses]]
[[Category:Films about hypnosis]]
[[Category:Films about immortality]]
[[Category:Films about potions]]
[[Category:Films about resurrection]]
[[Category:Films about Satanism]]
[[Category:Films about sisters]]
[[Category:Films about virginity]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Films directed by Kenny Ortega]]
[[Category:Films produced by David Kirschner]]
[[Category:Films produced by Steven Haft]]
[[Category:Films scored by James Horner]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Debney]]
[[Category:Films set in 17th-century Thirteen Colonies]]
[[Category:Films set in 1693]]
[[Category:Films set in 1993]]
[[Category:Films set in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by David Kirschner]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Mick Garris]]
[[Category:Halloween comedy films]]
[[Category:Salem witch trials in fiction]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Pictures films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Hocus Pocus (1993 film)|access_date=2026-03-03}}