I really loved summer this year. I had one of those summers where I swam a bunch and saw a pile of sunsets and rode my bike and was just like a 6-year-old kid again. But now all of that is over and I'm fine with it. Because with the end of summer comes my other favorite season: Hocus Pocus season, when I can reconnect with the Sanderson sisters and that meddling cat Binx (and also a teeny tiny Thora Birch dressed as a witch). This year it's going to be even better, because there's a Hocus Pocus reunion in the works in honor of the classic Halloween movie's 25th anniversary. In other words, all of my dreams always come true.
For those of you who have never watched Hocus Pocus, here's what you need to know about the beloved cult flick from 1993. It tells the story of three sisters, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, who are witches back in the late 17th century, according to the movie's Wikipedia page (though I could have told you that anyway). They're busy trying to steal the souls of little girls to recapture their youth (I mean, who hasn't considered it, right?), and end up getting hanged. Fortunately for all of us, they cast a spell to make sure they can return on a full moon if a virgin lights their Black Flame Candle, which happens on Halloween in 1993. Hilarity ensues with a touch of darkness, and it's basically perfect.
And now we're going to do a deep dive back into the world of the Sanderson sisters, as Glamour reported. The Freeform network recently announced its plan to air the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash on Oct. 20 as part of its 31 Nights of Halloween. As CafeMom explained, most of the original cast will return to be interviewed. Two of the Sanderson sisters, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, will be there, as will Thora Birch. (This time she'll be a grown-up, thankfully, so she'll be safe from the Sanderson sisters' desperate plot to suck her life force.)
The voice of Binx the cat, Jason Marsden, will be coming back too, as will most of the people who worked behind the scenes. Director Kenny Ortega, writers Mick Garris and David Kirschner, choreographer Peggy Holmes and composer John Debney are all coming back for the anniversary special... but there's one vitally important person missing on the list here:
Bette Midler aka Winifred Sanderson. AKA my favorite character by a mile.
I mean, the special does sound amazing... it will even include a costume contest judged by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne and a "Pop 'n Knowledge" version of the movie will air before the special (a mix of trivia, commentary, and pop culture tidbits played throughout the movie). But no Bette Midler? Could this be? I actually doubt it... Cosmopolitan noted that there will be special guests announced at a later date, and I feel fairly certain Midler will be one of them. After all, she's always spoken fondly of the film and said she would be open to a reunion. And let's face it, sisters; a Hocus Pocus reunion without Winifred Sanderson at the helm is basically a cake with no frosting.
Still edible, but not nearly so delicious. I guess we'll just have to stay tuned.
