It’d be difficult to argue that 2020 hasn’t been an unusual period in human history. The ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the globe, infecting nearly 40 million people worldwide and killing over a million. And it certainly hasn’t been kind to the economy, either, causing countless citizens to lose their jobs, sinking small businesses and throwing a wrench into the gears of the entertainment industry.
Due to distancing rules, some of the world’s biggest socialization hubs like restaurants, theme parks and theaters have been hit the hardest. Cinemas, in particular, have struggled significantly even after reopening some months ago, as the lack of moviegoers has deterred production companies from putting their films on the big screen and in some cases, has resulted in them opting for a straight-to-streaming deal.
But for those willing to take the risk, there’ve been quite a lot of classic movies that we’ve seen rereleased in order to make up for the lack of new blockbusters. Among them is one of the most popular Halloween films of all time, in fact: the 1993 fantasy-comedy Hocus Pocus, which is beloved for its quirky trio of witches played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.
Surprisingly, Hocus Pocus has now become the biggest rerelease of the year, bringing in an impressive $3 million over a ten day period, surpassing even Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which has earned $2.4 million across multiple rereleases throughout 2020. This, of course, should bode well for talks of a sequel that will see the original cast return to their witchy roles in a Disney Plus exclusive.
That said, if you’re not willing to brave the theaters to watch Hocus Pocus this year, it’s also available to stream on the aforementioned platform, so you can always check it out on there while you wait for the next installment.