{"id":22888,"date":"2022-09-29T16:03:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T14:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1713851"},"modified":"2022-09-29T16:31:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T14:31:14","slug":"bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Bette Midler says she was pushing for Hocus Pocus sequel for 15 years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"><\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Patrick Cremona\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p><hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Almost 30 years after the original\u2019s release, <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/movies\/hocus-pocus-2-release-date\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Hocus Pocus 2<\/a> finally arrives on <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/disneyplus&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Disney Plus<\/a> this week \u2013 with the Sanderson sisters set to unleash havoc on Salem once again.<\/p>\n<p>Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler are all back in their iconic roles as witches Mary, Sarah, and Winifred respectively, and according to the latter, she\u2019d been pushing for a sequel for quite some time.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other media at a global press conference ahead of the film\u2019s release, Midler was asked if she ever thought a sequel would actually materialise, and she confessed she wasn\u2019t always so sure.<\/p> <p>\u201cI didn\u2019t until the day finally came,\u201d she responded. \u201cAnd then I realised \u2018Oh, we\u2019re really gonna do this!\u2019 It was kind of a dream come true, it really was.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, I\u2019ve been \u2013 I don\u2019t want to say agitating \u2013 but kind of like, after I realised it was actually a phenomenon, I started asking people around, my agent and people like that: \u2018Don\u2019t you think they would be interested in a sequel?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd this was a long time ago. This was like 15 years ago, something like that. So here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She added: \u201cI do love a franchise, even though I\u2019m a little elderly for a franchise at this point!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;image-handler__container\" image-handler__container--aspect=\"\" style=\"&quot;padding-bottom:\" calc=\"\"> <picture><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=298%2C199,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=298%2C199,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=353%2C236,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=353%2C236,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=402%2C269,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=402%2C269,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=552%2C369,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=552%2C369,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=618%2C413,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=618%2C413,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C271,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C271,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C370,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C370,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><img class=\"&quot;wp-image-899854\" align=\"\" size-landscape_thumbnail=\"\" image-handler__image=\"\" image-handler__image--aspect=\"\" no-wrap=\"\" js-lazyload=\"\" data-src=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/10\/Hocus-Pocus07-c4e9d77.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=618%2C413&quot;\" width=\"&quot;620&quot;\" height=\"&quot;413&quot;\" alt=\"&quot;&quot;\" title=\"&quot;&quot;\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><div class=\"&quot;caption-hold&quot;\"><figcaption class=\"&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;\"><span class=\"&quot;caption-copy&quot;\"><i class=\"&quot;icon-arrow\" icon-camera-circle=\"\"\/> Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in the original Hocus Pocus.<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"&quot;im-image-caption&quot;\"> <i>Disney<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Najimy was then quizzed about why she thought the original had continued to resonate with audiences so long after its release, joking: \u201cOther than my performance?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She said: \u201cI don\u2019t think that anyone could ever decide that ahead of time, or else everybody would make that kind of movie. I think you just make films and you go on to the next one, and however the audience receives it is always a surprise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo I think there was something in this film [that was] Wizard of Oz-ish, where the generation shows it to their kids, who shows it to their kids, who shows it to their kids.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it becomes this part of the fabric of the history of the family. So I don\u2019t think that anyone can ever predict!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;editor-content\" mb-lg=\"\" hidden-print=\"\" js-piano-locked-content=\"\" data-placement=\"&quot;Body&quot;\">\n<p><strong>Hocus Pocus 2 comes to\u00a0Disney Plus\u00a0on Friday 30th September 2022. You can\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/disneyplus.bn5x.net\/c\/1236178\/564546\/9358?subId1=radiotimes-0&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;sponsored&quot; noopener noreferrer\">sign up to Disney Plus for \u00a37.99 a month or \u00a379.90 a year<\/a>\u00a0now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Check out more of our\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/movies\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Film<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/fantasy\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Fantasy<\/a>\u00a0coverage, or visit our\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/tv-listings\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0to see what\u2019s on tonight.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/radiotimes.com\/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\" data-auth=\"&quot;NotApplicable&quot;\" data-linkindex=\"&quot;0&quot;\">subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/podcasts\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\" data-auth=\"&quot;NotApplicable&quot;\" data-linkindex=\"&quot;1&quot;\">Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Patrick Cremona Published: Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 12:00 am Almost 30 years after the original\u2019s release, Hocus Pocus 2 finally arrives on Disney Plus this week \u2013 with the Sanderson sisters set to unleash havoc on Salem once again. Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler are all back in their iconic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":22889,"template":"","categories":[6],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years.jpg",1307,871,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years-1024x682.jpg",800,533,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years.jpg",1307,871,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/bette-midler-says-she-was-pushing-for-hocus-pocus-sequel-for-15-years.jpg",1307,871,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Patrick Cremona Published: Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 12:00 am Almost 30 years after the original\u2019s release, Hocus Pocus 2 finally arrives on Disney Plus this week \u2013 with the Sanderson sisters set to unleash havoc on Salem once again. Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler are all back in their iconic&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/22888"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}