Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy to run amok in ‘Hocus Pocus 3’

Nbcwashington · May 07, 2026 · 448 words · By Ariana Brockington; TODAY

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What to know about Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy to run amok in ‘Hocus Pocus 3’

Witches Winifred, Sarah and Mary will again bring chaos and mischief to the world in the upcoming “Hocus Pocus 3.” Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters in the movie, which is in early…

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Deadline first reported the news of the third installment and the possibility that the film will have a theatrical distribution following “Hocus Pocus 2.” The 2022 sequel, also starring Midler, Parker and Najimy, was released on Disney+.

Common ground

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Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy to run amok in ‘Hocus Pocus 3’?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the movie [Hocus Pocus 3] is in early development at Disney Live Action Studios?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/bette-midler-sara…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

info Single Source 1

report Misleading 1

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Claim 1: “the movie [Hocus Pocus 3] is in early development at Disney Live Action Studios”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including reports citing Deadline, confirm the movie is in early development at Disney Live Action Studios.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film 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 comed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(1993_film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the second in the Hocus Pocus film series, and featu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_2

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of films produced by and released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner (known as that since 1983, with Never Cry Wolf as its first release) and films released before that under the for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Walt_Disney_Pictures_f…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 2: “In the comments, the Disney+ official account replied, “Happy Halloween to our Mary Sanderson.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific comment from the Disney+ official account.

verified

Claim 3: “The sisters first wreaked havoc on Salem residents in the original 1993 flick”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and other sources confirm the original Hocus Pocus film was released in 1993.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flutist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(song)

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “The 2022 sequel, also starring Midler, Parker and Najimy, was released on Disney+.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm Hocus Pocus 2 was released on Disney+ in 2022 starring the original trio.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hocus Pocus is an American media franchise consisting of two films, a sequel novelization, and other Disney media and merchandise. The series was created by David Kirschner and Mick Garris.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(franchise)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “in October 2025... Midler also stopped by Andy Cohen’s talk show and discussed a third film, confirming that a script has already been written”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Bette Midler appeared on Andy Cohen's show in October 2025 and confirmed a script has been written.

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web search NEUTRAL — “We’ve been having some conversations.” Then a few months later in October 2025, just in time for Halloween, Midler also stopped by Andy Cohen’s talk show and discussed a third film, confirming that a…
https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/hocus-pocus-3-in-the…

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web search NEUTRAL — Bette Midler has read the script for Hocus Pocus 3 and says they just need to work out the production logistics now.
https://www.joblo.com/hocus-pocus-3-script/

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web search NEUTRAL — Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_2

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Claim 6: “Najimy... posted a picture of her Halloween costume on Instagram in October 2025.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm Kathy Najimy posted a picture of her Halloween costume on Instagram on October 31, 2025.

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web search NEUTRAL — 374K likes, 1,897 comments - kathynajimy on October 31, 2025: "Trick or Treeeeeat!".
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQe4E_vkQup/

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web search NEUTRAL — 325K Followers, 754 Following, 802 Posts - Kathy Najimy (@kathynajimy) on Instagram: "Actor, activist, mother, director, @mymomentbook Find me on @cameo. Proceeds go to the @eracoalition 💜 Need an abo…
https://www.instagram.com/kathynajimy/

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web search NEUTRAL — As for Najimy, she gave fans hope that they will see "Hocus Pocus 3" soon when she posted a picture of her Halloween costume on Instagram in October 2025.
https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/hocus-pocus-3-in-the…

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Claim 7: “Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters in the movie [Hocus Pocus 3]”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Hocus Pocus 3 is in the works with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy returning.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both screen and stage…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Jessica_Parker

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 8: “In July 2025, Parker appeared on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” and revealed that the cast was in talks for “Hocus Pocus 3.””

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results for this specific claim returned information about the biblical Sarah and did not provide evidence of Sarah Jessica Parker's appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live' in July 2025.

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web search NEUTRAL — In the biblical narrative, Sarah is the wife of Abraham. She was originally called Sarai. During the narrative of the covenant of circumcision in Genesis 17, God renames Abram and Sarai as Abraham and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah

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web search NEUTRAL — Sarah was the first of the four mothers of the Jewish people, followed by Rebecca (wife of her son, Isaac), and then Leah and Rachel (wives of her grandson Jacob). 1
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5691887/jewis…

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web search NEUTRAL — Who was Sarah in the Hebrew Bible? Sarah was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She was childless until the age of 90 and is known for her role in the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham…
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sarah

report

Claim 9: “She said “Hocus Pocus 2” amassed “billions of watches” on the streaming platform.”

MISLEADING

While Bette Midler discussed the success of Hocus Pocus 2, the evidence specifies '2.7 billion minutes watched over its opening weekend', not 'billions of watches' (which implies total views/plays).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hocus Pocus 2 was released on September 30, 2022, on Disney+.[55][56]. The film made its broadcast-TV debut on October 6, 2024, as a part of Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween line-up.[57] The sequel a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_2

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web search NEUTRAL — Bette Midler is updating fans on the progress of “Hocus Pocus 3.”“Hocus Pocus 2” became Disney+’s most-watched original film ever after its 2022 release, with 2.7 billion minutes watched over its open…
https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/bette-midler-says-she-read-23…

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web search NEUTRAL — Disney also revealed that the movie was its most-viewed film premiere in the U.S. within its first three days, and had become, at the time, its most-watched movie on Disney+ at all.
https://t-id.joicat.com/Index/flowNewsDetail/id/15058723.htm…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.