MOVIE STUDIOS DON'T MAKE SEQUELS TO PICtures that flop. Which is why Bette Midler thought she'd never return as Winifred Sanderson, the leader of a pack of witches from the 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus.
Campy and over-the-top, the family-friendly comedy was tailor made for Bette Midler. The Sanderson sisters (Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) are awoken from a spell cast in the 17th century and proceed to try to steal the youth of the children of modern-day Salem, Massachusetts.
Released in July 1993, though, Hocus Pocus was steamrolled by that summer's blockbusters, among them the first Jurassic Park, Tom Cruise in The Firm and Harrison Ford in The Fugitive. While some devoted Midler fans bought tickets including this writer-the movie stiffed on its opening weekend and was promptly forgotten.
"I was disappointed because we had worked really hard on it," Midler says. "It was fun.
So we had this great experience, and we expected it to be translated into the response. When it wasn't, I do have to say it was a big disappointment." Over the next 20 year years, though, the movie gradually found a dedicated (and vocal) fan base online and via Halloween showings on television. On September 30, Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+. "I have to say a huge fat thank you and a huge shout out to all the fans that basically made it happen," Midler says. "If it hadn't been for them, we never would have been given the green light to do it." "When I started seeing it online, I was absolutely dumbfounded. I couldn't believe it," she adds. "I tell you, my mouth fell open. I had no idea that this was going on. And the more you dug into the internet, the more you saw that there was this madness of those three characters....We started seeing that something was happening. We couldn't quite figure out why. But it was, there's no denying that there was something going on. And as the years went by, it got crazier and crazier."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 07, 2022-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 07, 2022-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
All the Right Moves
PR experts tell Newsweek the winning strategies that keep Dancing With the Stars as popular as ever after 19 years
Front Line of History
A fascinating series of snapshots showing a medic's experience of the Korean War have been uncovered by his grandson
CLEAR AND PRESIDENTIAL DANGER
IN A CAMPAIGN THAT'S BEEN FULL OF SHOCKS, COULD AN OCTOBER SURPRISE PROVIDE A FINAL TWIST IN THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE?
'We're Not Beasts, We're Just People'
Trans MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin on coping with societal and family of being the 'bigger person' expectations
Is This France's #MeToo Moment?
The trial of Dominique Pélicot, who has admitted drugging his wife and allowing her alleged rape, has highlighted a culture of sexual violence in the country
Washington is 'Playing With Fire'
In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warns the U.S. to accept his country's proposal to end the war in Ukraine or face \"dangerous consequences\"
Zachary Quinto
ZACHARY QUINTO HAS PLAYED DOCTORS BEFORE, BUT HE'S \"NEVER PLAYED a doctor like\" the one he plays on NBC's Brilliant Minds (September 23).
Adam Brody
NETFLIX KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT MILLENNIALS want, and it's to see Adam Brody and Kristen Bell fall in love.
Partners in Crime
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt shares his delight at teaming up with Shailene Woodley again in new Amazon Prime movie Killer Heat
HOW TO FIND A WORKPLACE THAT LOVES YOU BACK
Insights from America's Top Most Loved Workplaces