Bette Midler: Last News

Hocus Pocus casting its spell on Broadway? The Sanderson Sisters might be flying their brooms a bit closer to the stage after all.

At the very least, the Mouse House avoids the laziest possible mistake with “Hocus Pocus 2.” This sequel to the childhood and camp classic, which arrives nearly three decades after the original bewitched audiences, does not amount to just a slightly updated remake of the first film for a cynical cash grab. But all that really means is opening up director Anne Fletcher and screenwriter Jen D’Angelo to make a different set of mistakes.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic What strange sorcery is this that “Hocus Pocus” — a so-so comedy turned campy cult favorite starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as absolutely fabulous Salem witch sisters — should be getting a sequel nearly three decades after its 1993 release? At the time, Variety speculated that, were it not for the film’s three stars, “‘Hocus Pocus’ wouldn’t seem out of place on the Disney Channel, and perhaps belongs there.” (Its director, Kenny Ortega, would go on to helm the “High School Musical” franchise for the cabler.) In a sense, that’s what’s happened with this follow-up, aimed to breathe some life into the graveyard that is Disney+. The sequel’s existence owes less to popular demand (the original earned a respectable $39.3 million stateside and went on to become a Halloween season staple) than the realization that the film had tapped into preteens’ fascination with witchcraft before Harry Potter came along. It can be no coincidence that the new feature lifts so much of its look and feel from that franchise — with eye of newt, a dead man’s head and some aspects of “The Craft” tossed in for good measure. In “Hocus Pocus 2,” the three teens called upon to save Salem from the Sanderson sisters’ return are themselves budding witches, which means the movie is less about scaring kids away from magic than indulging their post-Potter junior wizarding fantasies.

Sarah Jessica Parker was forced to make a quick exit from an event on Wednesday after she received news of a family emergency.RELATED: Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler return in Hocus Pocus 2 trailer - and it looks brilliantThe Hocus Pocus 2 star was being honored at New York City Ballet's 10th Annual Fall Fashion Gala but reportedly left the event at the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center moments after she arrived. According to Page Six, guests at the venue were told that the actress sadly had to leave because of a "sudden devastating family situation", although no other details were given.WATCH: Sarah Jessica Parker shares glimpse inside family homeSarah Jessica's sudden departure came just one day after she was supported by her twin daughters and her husband Matthew Broderick at the premiere of her new movie Hocus Pocus 2.The Sex and the City star posed up a storm alongside her children, Marion and Tabitha, 13, during the rare family outing, which didn't include her son James Wilkie, 19, who is studying at Brown University.SEE: Sarah Jessica Parker looks stylish in black swimsuit during family trip to the beachMORE: Sarah Jessica Parker shares rare photo of son James' face in bittersweet tributeThe trio happily smiled for photographers outside the venue, with the actress' offspring proving they share their mother's penchant for fashion.Sarah Jessica looked chic in a floral shimmering tunic which she teamed with purple pleated pants and pink satin heels.

Kathy Najimy has delved into the difficult balancing act she performs to keep up her friendships with both Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall despite their ongoing public feud.Najimy, 65, spoke about supporting her 'separate friends' while chatting on the red carpet of the Hocus Pocus 2 premiere with People on Tuesday.According to the actress, who stars with Parker in the Disney sequel, it's still possible to be friends with different people, even if they can't stand to be in the same room. Balancing act: Kathy Najimy, 65, shared that she manages to be friends with both her Hocus Pocus 2 costar Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, and Kim Cattrall, 66, according to People; seen Saturday in NYC'You know, we all can have separate friends,' she opined.

Disney’s favorite witches are back! Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy stepped out in New York City to celebrate the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 on Tuesday, September 27.

upcoming Disney+ film “Hocus Pocus 2,” the sequel to the 1993 cult classic, revealed their thoughts about a potential third installment in the “Hocus Pocus” series during the Tuesday premiere.Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker told Entertainment Weekly that they would love to continue playing the witchy Sanderson Sisters who terrorize present-day Salem, Massachusetts.“I’m envious of other actors who have franchises, and I was hoping for a sequel to ‘First Wives Club’, but we never got that,” Midler, 76, said. “After 30 years with no sequel to ‘Hocus Pocus,’ I’ve always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once.”“The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I’m glad we got to do it.

film — but so have the film's stars, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy. ET's Rachel Smith caught up with Midler and Najimy at the New York City premiere where the two spoke about reviving their roles 30 years later. While the film was a joy to make, Midler — who plays Winifred Sanderson — said dealing with COVID was the hardest part.

Sarah Jessica Parker and her twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, hit the red carpet as a trio for the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 held at AMC Lincoln Square on Tuesday night (September 27) in New York City.

Sarah Jessica Parker at the  premiere Tuesday night. Parker hit the red carpet for the first look at the long-anticipated sequel with her husband, Matthew Broderick, and their twin daughters Tabitha and Marion, 13.Parker nearly matched the purple carpet in a pink and silver ensemble that saw the  actress in a sparkling tunic, adorned with a floral design, which featured blue, purple and pink accents.

Sarah Jessica Parker is hopping on her broomstick for a second turn as Sarah Sanderson in .ET's Rachel Smith spoke to Parker at the film's premiere Tuesday, where she revealed the hardest and easiest parts about making the film's long-awaited sequel, and dished on reuniting with Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy to bring the Sanderson sisters back to our screens once more.«The easiest part was being on the set with Bette and Kathy every day singing and flying, trying to recall and remember what we did and why, and I think the hardest part was just masks in film making, you know, COVID restrictions and guidelines that you really want to honor,» Parker, who attended the premiere with her husband, Matthew Broderick and their twin daughters shared.«It just separates you from people,» she continued. «I think one of the best parts of making a movie is the human exchange that happens on a set, you know, you're with your crew all the time.

Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker turned heads as they stepped onto the red carpet in wild and wacky looks at the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 in New York City on Tuesday.The duo, along with co-star Kathy Najimy, reprise their roles as the wicked Sanderson Sisters in the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1993 classic, which is set for a September 30 release on Disney+.Midler posed up a storm in a flowing black and white striped dress with colorful striped sleeves and a V-neckline that showed off her smooth décolletage. Wild and wacky! Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker turned heads as they stepped onto the red carpet in wild and wacky getups at the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 in New York City on Tuesday. The duo, along with co-star Kathy Najimy, reprise their roles as the wicked Sanderson Sisters in the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1993 classic, which is set for a September 30 release on Disney+Midler - who plays ringleader Winifred Sanderson - twirled around for the cameras and pulled at the sides of her dress to showcase the skirt's width.The actress, 76, gave her petite 5foot1inch frame a boost by strolling the red carpet in a pair of metallic rainbow platforms.

Sarah Jessica Parker at the  premiere Tuesday night. Parker hit the red carpet for the first look at the long-anticipated sequel with her husband, Matthew Broderick, and their twin daughters Tabitha and Marion, 13.Parker nearly matched the purple carpet in a pink and silver ensemble that saw the  actress in a sparkling tunic, adorned with a floral design, which featured blue, purple and pink accents.

During ET’s visit to the set of “The Gabby Petito Story”, Lifetime’s true-crime film about the van life murder, director Thora Birch opened up about her involvement in two other anticipated projects, “Hocus Pocus 2” on Disney+ and Netflix’s “Wednesday” series.

, Lifetime’s true-crime film about the van life murder, director Thora Birch opened up about her involvement in two other anticipated projects, on Disney+ and Netflix’s series.“I was just a little dismayed I wasn’t able to make it,” Birch said of the sequel to, in which she originated the role of 8-year-old Dani Dennison, one of the Salem, Massachusetts, kids who gets caught up in the mayhem after the resurrection of the Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker). Nearly 30 years later, Midler, Najimy and Parker have reunited for a new tale about the three witches, with Doug Jones reprising his zombie role. However, the original film’s young stars, Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw, are not among the cast returning for the sequel.“I was working on something else when they were filming,” Birch said, revealing that “otherwise I was definitely going to be there on set with the girls.” That said, “I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

Bachelor in Paradise to premiere now (this Tuesday to be exact), I suppose it makes sense: You have scary creatures in the form of crabs and other insects roaming about, and you never know if you might be ghosted for a new arrival. But even with the change in seasons, bartender (and ) Wells Adams tells Glamour it's still very much the same BiP you've always loved: “There are people crying in the ocean. And crabs attacking everyone.

EXCLUSIVE: The cast of Amazon Studios’ rom-com Sitting in Bars With Cake is growing by 12 with the addition of Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus), Ron Livingston (The Flash), Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders In The Building), Rish Shah (Ms. Marvel), and Odessa A’zion (Hellraiser).

, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker felt like no time had passed at all!«As soon as we walked on the set, the dynamic between the three of us was exactly the same as it was 30 years ago,» Midler says in ET's exclusive look at a featurette for the upcoming film. «It was like these characters lived with us for the last 30 years… It was a real thrill.»«It was not a difficult transition to step back into those boots,» Najimy agrees. Set 29 years after the events of the first film,  will give fans a look at the backstory of the trio's Sanderson sisters -- which includes an ominous birthday present from an elder witch, played by Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham.«It's very special to be a part of something that has become so meaningful in people's lives,» Parker notes of returning to the cinematic universe.The sequel also sees the 17th-century sisters resurrected in the present day after high school friends in Salem — played by Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo — relight the Black Flame Candle and spark a whole new adventure. The cast also includes Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen.ET spoke to Richardson at the Independent Spirit Awards in March, where he gushed over the «surreal experience» of joining some of the original cast for the film's second installment.«It was incredible.

 Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher is 'open' to another sequel.The 56-year-old filmmaker is at the helm of the upcoming comedy horror movie - which is a follow-up to the original 1993 classic and set to launch on Disney+ on September 30 - and she won't rule out a third film if Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker all want to return as the Sanderson sisters.'I have definitely left it WIDE open for any sequel. Now it's really up to them if they want to do it,' she said while speaking to SFX magazine.  Magic awaits: Hocus Pocus 2 director, Anne Fletcher is 'open' to another sequel; seen here Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker from HP2'I can't say anything other than yes, it is left open.

The Sanderson Sisters looked ready to cause chaos in Salem in the official trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, which debuted during Disney's annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, California on Friday.Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy make their return as the three witches, who are resurrected by two teenagers in the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus.The film will premiere on Disney+ September 30. The latest: The Sanderson Sisters looked ready to cause chaos in Salem in the official trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, which debuted during Disney's annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, California on Friday Hocus Pocus 2's new trailer begins with the Sandersons being banished from Salem, Massachusetts in the 17th century. A raven flies toward them and unfurls its wings, becoming an older witch (played by Hannah Waddingham).

Disney has shared a first look at its upcoming new animated sci-fi series Iwájú at the D23 Expo in California.The event is taking place this weekend (September 9-11) at the Anaheim Convention Center and unveiling many new films and TV series from the studio.Among them was Iwájú, which was created by Ziki Nelson. The comic-style series will be set in Lagos and will explore class, innocence and challenging the status quo.During D23, Disney unveiled the first-look image from the show and announced that it will arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2023.