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A Halloween season classic is once again dominating the streaming charts. With spooky season fully upon us, viewers are seeking out horror of all sorts to put into their eyeballs to get into the spirit of the holiday. That doesn’t always mean seeking out one of the scariest horror movies of all time. Sometimes, it means going for something nostalgic and fun. That’s where 1993’s “Hocus Pocus” comes into play.
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, director Kenny Ortega’s gateway horror classic is currently dominating Disney’s streaming charts. According to FlixPatrol, “Hocus Pocus” is the No. 1 movie on Disney+ at the time of writing. The breezy 96-minute watch is regularly in rotation this time of year, and 33 years later, that hasn’t slowed down one bit, it seems.
The movie centers on a teenage boy named Max (Omri Katz) and his little sister Dani (Thora Birch), who move to the town of Salem. Max, who struggles to fit in, unwittingly awakens a trio of diabolical witches who were executed in the 17th century. Now, it’s up to them, along with Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and their newfound feline friend Thackery Binx, to put an end to the witches’ reign of terror once and for all.
“Hocus Pocus” went from box-office flop to Halloween cult classic, as evidenced by its resurgence once again this October. Disney’s spooky witchy picture greatly disappointed in its initial release, in no small part because it hit theaters in July for some reason. But time has been kind to it, and ’90s kids have a very strong fondness for it, one that only seems to get stronger as time goes on.
Hocus Pocus has become an annual Halloween movie staple
Fans of this movie are downright rabid, and its place as a Halloween classic is undeniable. “Hocus Pocus” re-entered the top 10 at the box office in 2023, tied to the movie’s 30th anniversary, as one example of its enduring nature. In the days of cable TV, it was in constant rotation. Now? People make sure to seek it out during this time of year. It’s a true staple.
As further evidence of that, this spooky movie franchise dominated Disney+ ahead of Halloween last year as well, with both “Hocus Pocus” and its direct-to-streaming sequel “Hocus Pocus 2” firmly in the top 10 for days leading up to the holiday. This isn’t just something that people occasionally revisit when the occasion calls for it. Much like John Carpenter’s “Halloween” or Wes Craven’s “Scream,” it’s earned its place.
Fans will have more to look forward to in the not-too-distant future, too, it seems. Disney is working on another sequel that will turn “Hocus Pocus” into a full-blown trilogy. “Hocus Pocus 3” can make up for the second movie’s biggest mistake by going to theaters rather than being dumped directly to Disney+. Clearly, there’s an audience for it and a rabid fanbase that will happily turn up to see the Sanderson Sisters do their witchy thing once again.
You can also grab “Hocus Pocus” on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.
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