While Sarah Jessica Parker plays the fictional Sarah Sanderson in Disney's Hocus pocus franchise, the actress has a real-life connection to the Salem witch trials. Premiere in July 1993, Hocus pocus was an infamous bomb upon release – likely due to the dubious decision to release a Halloween movie in the summer. However, thanks to home videos and repeated viewings on television, young millennials fell in love with them Hocus pocusand the film became a cult classic. A sequel with the title will be released in 2022 Hocus Pocus 2 was released for streaming on Disney+.

Hocus Pocus 2 saw the return of the infamous Sanderson sisters from the first film. In this film, Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Parker) Sanderson are three witches who are hanged during the Salem Witch Trials. However, they are revived 300 years later when teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) lights the Black Flame Candle. Even though they were the villains of the film, The Sanderson sisters became the most famous Hocus pocus Characters, especially the charming Sarah. And the fact that Parker is actually connected to the Salem witch trials adds even more magic to the film's legacy.

Hocus Pocus' Sarah Jessica Parker is actually the offspring of an accused witch

Parker's ancestor Esther Elwell was found guilty of “various acts of witchcraft.”

In the premiere episode of the documentary series Who do you think you are? USA, Sarah Jessica Parker learns that one of her ancestors, Esther Elwell, was convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The trials left at least 25 people dead, mostly women, who were targeted for various reasons, mostly personal or political, until a widespread witch hunt ensued.

Esther Elwell, who married into the English Elwell family who emigrated to the USA, and two other women were accused of bewitching and killing Mary Fitch, the sister of a church deacon (via History of Massachusetts). In contrast to Hocus pocus'Sanderson sisters, Elwell was not executed. This is because she was arrested in November 1962, a month after the court against accused witches was dissolved. Elwell was 82 and died in her hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

SJP is completely shocked by the popularity of Hocus Pocus

Bette Midler was the one who recognized the demand for Hocus Pocus 2

Just as she was surprised to learn that an ancestor was involved in the Salem witch trials, Sarah Jessica Parker was shocked that fans were clamoring for an ancestor Hocus pocus Sequel almost 30 years after the original was published. Although the 1993 film was a success, Parker's career continued to rise, and she became much more famous for her culture-defining role as Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist of Sex and the city. Parker gives full credit to her co-star Bette Midler for getting the ball rolling Hocus Pocus 2tell Vanity Fair,

To be completely honest, I haven't thought much about a sequel in the last 28 years… I wasn't involved in the conversations. When I found out it was going to happen, I was shocked. Bette was the person who had thought up the idea for years and thought this would all happen. She didn't let the idea stop her and I admire her so much for believing in a sequel and fighting for it. The lesson is: Listen to the divine Ms. M. She knows what works and how to make it happen.

Midler recognized the potential for this Hocus Pocus 2 as she began to notice a strong presence of Hocus pocus She even bought a Winifred Sanderson costume online a decade after the film's release in 1993. And as Parker said, Midler was right. In 2019, a sequel was greenlit, which saw the return of the Sanderson sisters. Midler said about the three actresses' reunion:

It was a completely bizarre experience… The dynamic between the three of us was exactly the same as it was almost 30 years ago. It was as if time had never passed. We immediately fell back into our old characters. It's as if these characters have lived with us all along. It's so strange.

Will SJP return for Hocus Pocus 3?

The third hoax was announced in 2023

fans of Hocus pocus There is a lot to be excited about because in June 2023, Sean Bailey, then president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed this Hocus Pocus 3 happened. That's exciting indeed, considering the original film's humble beginnings, but the whole thing really hinges on the beating heart of the series, the Sanderson sisters. Fortunately, All three actresses have expressed their desire to come back. Again, Sarah Jessica Parker quoted Bette Midler, aka “the divine Miss M” as the reason for her return (via Extra):

I hitch my car to her star. If she wants to do a third… Nobody says no to the divine Miss M.

Like in the first Hocus pocus film, the Sanderson sisters were defeated in the sequel. However, that is Hocus Pocus 2 The post-credit scene revealed that there is another Black Flame candle. So, with Sarah Jessica ParkerBette Midler and Kathy Najimy on board – or broom – the Sanderson sisters will fly in again Hocus Pocus 3.

Hocus Pocus tells the story of the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches who are accidentally resurrected by a teenager on Halloween. When the witches threaten to take over the town of Salem, Massachusetts, it's up to Max, sister Dani and friend Alison to stop them with the help of Thackery Binx, one of the Sandersons' victims trapped in the immortal body of a black cat.

director

Kenny Ortega

Release date

July 16, 1993

Studio(s)

Disney

Pour

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw

Duration

96 minutes

In 2022, fans of the cult classic Hocus Pocus will finally get a proper sequel. Directed by Anne Fletcher, the sequel reunited stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker in their roles as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of dastardly witches.

director

Anne Fletcher

Release date

September 30, 2022

Studio(s)

Disney

Duration

1h 43m