Disney has scored another hit with the release of Hocus Pocus 2. According to rating company Nielsen, the film, released September 30, 2022, 29 years after the original, has garnered nearly 2.73 billion minutes viewed over its initial three-day opening on the platform. With a runtime of 103 minutes, the film has been viewed almost 26 million times since being released.
Hocus Pocus 2 eclipsed the previous record holder Encanto by nearly 500 million minutes, which had 2.2 billion minutes. Just behind is Frozen 2, with 2.18 billion minutes viewed.
The film marks the return of the original film’s director Anne Fletcher and stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the dastardly Sanderson sisters. Newcomers Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham join Veep’s Sam Richardson and Tony Hale in the family-friendly comedy.
In an interview with EW, Parker expressed interest in developing a third entry into the franchise:
“Kathy had a good idea that the third one should be animated,” Parker said. “That would be cool and a smart idea. It’s fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation]. Of course I’d be happy to have a conversation [for a third film] — it just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!”
Middler is known as a renowned signer and for appearing in The First Wives Club. Parker has appeared in the TV series Sex and the City and its sequel films. Najimy has appeared in the Sister Act series, as well as Veep.
Disney +’s streaming platform market share has grown since Encanto’s release, with the service bringing in an additional 66.5 million new subscribers in 2021 alone. Disney’s next big release on Disney+ will be Disenchanted, releasing November 18, 2022, and Willow on November 30, 2022.
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