Get ready to run amok! amok! amok! It’s been almost three decades since one of Disney’s Halloween cult classics hit the big screen. Directed by Kenny Ortega (“High School Musical,” “Newsies”) and written by Neil Cuthbert (“Mystery Men,” “The Adventures of Pluto Nash”) and Mick Garris (“Batteries Not Included,” “The Fly II”), the spooky fantasy “Hocus Pocus” features the forboding Sanderson sisters, a villainous comedic trio of witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy), who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy (Omri Katz) in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night.
As a part of Disney+’s Hallowstream celebration, the Sanderson sisters return for more hijinks in the highly anticipated Disney+ Original Movie “Hocus Pocus 2” streaming today, September 30.
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, who are now looking for revenge. This time around, it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
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Disney’s Divine Diva, Bette Middler
One of the reasons for the allure of the original “Hocus Pocus” is the star power of Bette Midler. Twice nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the Divine Miss M (Midler’s famous stage persona) starred in Disney’s first comedy aimed at adults, and followed it with a string of hits that helped bring success to Disney’s branding of the 1980s and 1990s, and also brought a little magic to a few family-friendly films.
In recognition of her contributions to the Walt Disney Company, Midler became a Disney Legend in 2019.
Before the Sanderson sisters cast a spell on you, let’s take a closer look at the Disney/Touchstone Pictures theatrical films of Bette Midler.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
In Midler’s first theatrical film for The Walt Disney Studios, “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” is the comedy film based on the 1919 French play “Boudu sauvé des eaux” (Boudu Saved from Drowning), which had previously been adapted on film in 1932 by Jean Renoir.
Homeless and down on his luck, Jerry (Nick Nolte) becomes friends with wealthy businessman Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) and his status-obsessed wife (Midler) after he tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.
Released by Touchstone Films, “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” is the first film released by Disney to receive an R-rating by the MPAA. The comedy also stars Elizabeth Peña, Little Richard, Evan Richards, Tracy Nelson, and Felton Perry. The film features music by “The Police” guitarist Andy Summers.
Ruthless People (1986)
During the same year “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” was released, Midler’s second film, “Ruthless People,” hit the big screen and was a financial hit and brought in a little north of $71 million. The black comedy film was directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer.
“Ruthless People” also stars Danny DeVito, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater. It was also the film debut for Bill Pullman. The album’s soundtrack was released on Epic Records, and features the title track performed by Mick Jagger.
Outrageous Fortune (1987)
In her next movie and the tenth film of Touchstone Pictures, Midler shares the screen with Shelley Long in the adventure comedy where, unknown to each of them, they share the same boyfriend.
The film received mixed reviews during its original theatrical release, but that didn’t stop it from opening at number 2 at the US box office and grossing $52.9 million in North American ticket sales. Midler’s performance helped her receive a Golden Globe nomination.
The movie was directed by Arthur Hiller, written by Leslie Dixon, and includes Peter Coyote, Robert Prosky, and George Carlin.
Big Business (1988)
1988 would be another busy year for Midler, where she would star in three films produced by the Walt Disney Company.
The high-concept comedy film “Big Business” stars Midler and Lily Tomlin as two sets of identical twins mismatched at birth. Produced by Touchstone Pictures, the film co-stars Fred Ward, Edward Herrmann, Joe Grifasi, and Seth Green, as well as siblings Michael Gross and Mary Gross.
When “Big Business” debuted in U.S. theatres, it landed in the top three at the box-office and grossed $40.2 million during its domestic run.
Oliver & Company (1988)
A year before Disney Feature Animation would see a second flowering, the animated musical adventure film “Oliver & Company” took audiences to the streets of New York City in a story loosely based on the Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist.” Subbing in dogs and a cat for the human counterparts of the classic novel, the contemporary musical features songs performed by Midler, Huey Lewis, and Billy Joel.
Released on November 18, 1988, the twenty-seventh Disney animated feature film features Midler as the voice of prima donna poodle Georgette. Directed by George Scribner, with the screenplay by Jim Cox, Timothy J. Disney, and James Mangold, the film features the voices of Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Natalie Gregory, Cheech Marin, Robert Loggia, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Beaches (1988)
Directed by fellow Disney Legend Garry Marshall, “Beaches” explores the lifelong relationship between two women, from childhood through the peaks and valleys of adulthood. During its original theatrical release, the film grossed $59 million at the box office. “Beaches” also stars Barbara Hershey, Mayim Bialik, John Heard, James Read, Spalding Gray, and Lainie Kazan.
The film features the platinum-selling and Grammy-winning “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which was arranged for her by her longtime musical collaborator, Marc Shaiman. The hit song won Grammys for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Stella (1990)
Produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by Touchstone Pictures, Midler takes on the role of Stella, an independent and unorthodox single mother determined to take on whatever jobs needed to raise her daughter properly.
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“Stella” is directed by John Erman, with a screenplay written by Robert Getchell. John Goodman, Trini Alvarado, Stephen Collins, Marsha Mason, Eileen Brennan, Linda Hart, Ben Stiller, and William McNamara round out the cast.
Scenes from a Mall (1991)
The comedy reunites director Paul Mazuresky and Midler. Sports lawyer Nick (Woody Allen) is married to psychotherapist and author Deborah (Midler). After years of being happily married, Nick reveals to Deborah that he has had an affair. Shocked, she requests a divorce. However, she reveals that she herself has been unfaithful.
The title of the film is a play on Ingmar Bergman’s “Scenes from a Marriage,” a film that also explores the disintegration of a marriage.
At the time of its original release, the film was not a box office success and the reviews were tepid. The film’s cast includes Bill Irwin, Daren Firestone, Rebecca Nickels, Marc Shaiman (who also wrote the film’s score), and Joan Delaney.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
For Walt Disney Pictures, Midler plays Winifred Sanderson in the seasonal Halloween classic where a youngster unintentionally awakens a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century. The comedy fantasy also stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw.
During its original release, “Hocus Pocus” was not a box office success and the reviews were mixed. The film eventually made its way to ABC Family and the Disney Channel for annual airings during Halloween, where it found an audience and became a cult classic.
Fantasia 2000 (1999)
Consisting of animated segments set to pieces of symphonic music, the experimental film and sequel to 1940’s “Fantasia” featured Midler and others who introduced different animated sections of the film to the audience.
Produced by Roy E. Disney and Donald W. Ernst, the film also featured James Levine, Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller, and Angela Lansbury. The music was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with James Levine conducting.
Fantasia 2000 was the first animated feature-length film to be shown in the IMAX format. The following year, the film won an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production.
Bonus Clip: The Lottery (1989)
Although not a theatrical release, Midler reunited with Gary Marshall for the comedy “The Lottery,” a short film produced for the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) to demonstrate the secrets of moviemaking for the park’s Backstage Studio Tour.
In the film, Midler stars as a music teacher who discovers she hit the jackpot with a lottery ticket. However, a gust of wind blows the ticket out of her hand and through a comedy of errors, she chases the ticket through the streets of New York.
At the conclusion of the film, the filmmakers reveal how each scene was produced and photographed to the audience. It has the distinction of being the first film to be filmed in its entirety at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park.
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Let’s Hear From You
Are you excited to watch The Divine Miss M in “Hocus Pocus 2” now streaming on Disney+? Were you aware of Bette Midler’s extensive theatrical career? Do you have a favorite film of hers? Share your thoughts and comments below!
For more about “Hocus Pocus 2,” be sure to check out a behind-the-scenes look at the movie below:
UPDATED! Hocus Pocus 2 Resurrects Salem’s Sanderson Sisters… in Rhode Island!