Reactor
What’s This? The Nightmare Before Christmas & Hocus Pocus to Return to Theaters
By Vanessa Armstrong
Sept. 12, 2024
Mister D: Could they have been less polite about Hocus Pocus 2, or am I just misreading the vibes? lol
Halloween is right around the corner! (Or here already, if you live in my household.) To celebrate the season, Disney is re-releasing the beloved holiday movie The Nightmare Before Christmas this October for your viewing pleasure.
This announcement, of course, raises the question of whether Tim Burton’s iconic stop-animation film, directed by Henry Selick, is a Halloween or Christmas movie. Before you break into small groups to discuss this, however, here are details on when you can rewatch the beloved 1993 feature.
According to Walt Disney Studios, Jack Skellington, Zero, Santy Claus, and the rest of the gang will return to theaters on October 11, 2024. It remains unclear how long the film will remain in cinemas, though odds are good it will run through at least that weekend.
The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t the only spooky Disney classic returning to the big screen next month either. The company also announced that 1993’s Hocus Pocus, which stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy as three resurrected witches, will also be in theaters on October 18, 2024. Note that this is the first film in the franchise, not the less-embraced Hocus Pocus 2 or the previously announced Hocus Pocus 3.
It will be nice to see these two films on the big screen again, especially when one wants to get in the mood for a spooky season! (Or, depending on what camp you’re in with The Nightmare Before Christmas, getting ready for that other year-end holiday.)
“the less embraced???”
Numbers on streaming don’t say so…and even this cynical person here for a while felt it was ether not to do a sequel…but she loved the sequel. LOL
And yes, fuck this piece of shitty comment from this writer.
Xoxo
This is just my take, and (as you know) I love to muse and meander, but I think the (re-re-) release of Hocus Pocus is very strategic on Disney’s part. When Hocus Pocus was (re-) released in the theaters during Covid, during a time when no/few new movie releases were coming out, it did very well, and far exceeded expectations. It’s sequel (Hocus Pocus 2) broke streaming records on Disney +, prompting a third installment, which has just been categorically moved from “in development” to “production announced”, back to “in development”.
I think Disney is waiting to see what the theatrical reception is for the re-release next month, to help determine how they may proceed with Hocus Pocus 3. Based on the multitude of rumors, second guesses, and friendly nudges, there are a variety of directions Hocus Pocus 3 could point towards: Will it include the original Sanderson Sisters (Bette, Kathy, Sarah)? Will it focus more on the younger generation of witches so that it may appeal more to a new, younger or different audience? Will it bring back some of the original cast (e.g., Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Thora Birch, and others, who have expressed an interest to be part of the renewed magic)? Will it focus more on Hannah Waddingham’s mother witch character, as previously hinted by the screenwriter? Will it be released theatrically this time, or stick to Disney Plus streaming? Will its original estimated budget of $100 million remain, which yes, is extremely generous for a film of this nature? At present, the director and writer of Hocus Pocus 2 is attached to HP3, but will it stay that way? Will the box-office revenue of Fabulous Four (or lack thereof, despite it being a totally fun, inoffensive, charming, and well-acted film) determine anything when it comes to HP3?
IMHO, I think Disney is dragging its feet on Hocus Pocus 3, because they’re undecided which direction it wants to take this franchise. It has a potential cash cow on its hands, and studios care about one thing–money. They are likely to make any and all decisions based on potential revenue, as opposed to what makes sense for the plot, characters, actors or franchise. This sequel has been under wraps for years now, and I would just love it if they would peel away the wrapping paper for a second, so we can peek at what’s underneath. We’ve been waiting too long.
Thank you, Mister D, as always, for all that you do to keep Bette in our stream of consciousness. As Soph would say, “we will never forget it, y’know!” All the best!!
Ron
xoxo