Get ready for some magic this Halloween. Disney is doing a special theatrical re-release of 1993’s Hocus Pocus for its 30th anniversary! Here’s when you can check out this special event!
When Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, it was, to put it bluntly, a flop. Critics didn’t take to it and releasing a Halloween-themed movie in the middle of July didn’t help it either. It only grossed a total of $45 million against an almost $30 million budget.
But when it hit home video that fall, a funny thing happened. Families soon began connecting to the story as a trio of kids on Halloween accidentally revived the Sanderson Sisters (Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy), three witches burned at the stake centuries before after sacrificing children. Amid the comedy of the Sandersons finding themselves in modern times, the movie also showed them as twisted figures plotting more sacrifices for power.
The film soon attained a cult audience that grew every year both on home video and showings on the Disney Channel. People just loved the film’s comedy, music and quirky style. It later became a mainstay for Halloween programming for ABC Family (now Freeform) and still a popular film.
The movie’s legacy has grown as the Disney Parks feature the Sandersons in the annual Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular show. In 2022, Middler, Parker and Najimy reunited for Hocus Pocus 2 and a third movie is planned.
So, with its 30th anniversary around, it’s no surprise Disney is planning a special theatrical re-release for October 6. There are no specifics on how it will last, although Disney clarifies it will be a limited engagement.
For 30 years the Sanderson Sisters have been putting a spell on you, see them back on the big screen for a limited time as we celebrate Hocus Pocus’ 30th Anniversary! The black flame candle ignites once again on October 6th.
— Hocus Pocus 2 | Now Streaming (@HocusPocusMovie) September 14, 2023
🎨: @studionumberone pic.twitter.com/M3fPU9cKhm
Meanwhile, Salem, Massachusetts (where the film is set) is also prepping a big celebration for the film with costume contests and other events.
So fans can brush off the broomsticks and get set to enjoy three decades of Hocus Pocus and the spell it still casts on moviegoers.
Hocus Pocus streaming on Disney+ and re-released in theaters, Friday October 6.