Rumor has it that Disney has been quietly developing a sequel to its '90s Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. The original film starred Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as a trio of sister witches resurrected on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts, who begin wrecking havoc on the town. It's up to teenagers Max (Omri Katz) and Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and a young Thora Birch who plays Max's younger sister Dani, to thwart them.

The film is a staple of a certain (mine) generation's collective memory. It's not hard to remember it, either, since the Disney channel has had it in reruns almost every Halloween season for the last decade. As for the potential sequel, there's not much yet to go on, but hit the jump for a few tidbits.

According to Moviehole, the film will be titled Hocus Pocus 2: Rise of the Elderwitch. There's a presumption that the new film will focus on an entirely new set of characters and situations, since most of the original cast has either gone on to much bigger things, or faded entirely from view. What kid now would appreciate that the film stars Omri Katz, studly star of Eerie, Indiana? Although probably plenty of people (adults as well as children with sudden, confusing feelings) would appreciate a return by Vinessa Shaw.

Whether the new movie would be able to touch the weird, snickering vibe of the original film (remember Binx the cat saying "Sorry I was late, I had to wait 300 years for a virgin to light the candle"? He's talking about Max, by the way) is uncertain. In one of the original trailers, where Sarah Jessica Parker is referred to as "the sexiest" witch, it's meant to look lighthearted and fun, even though it is a story of three demonic hags who sold their souls to the devil and suck the youth out of children to survive. All fun and games, right? I doubt a sequel would be half as sly. At the very least we can hope for exploding witches. That's all anybody really wants, right?

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Image via Disney