‘Hocus Pocus’ leads box office after 27 years

"Hocus Pocus" is leading US box office charts 27 years after originally premiering in theaters. 

Disney rereleased the 1993 Halloween classic, starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as a trio of witches, this weekend on the big screen, where it collected $650,000 on Friday. "Hocus Pocus," which is currently playing in 2,570 US cinemas, is expected to generate $1 million in ticket sales over the weekend.

Those box office receipts put "Hocus Pocus" ahead of more recent titles like "New Mutants," Russell Crowe's "Unhinged" and mystery-thriller "Infidel." There's a chance that Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" matched "Hocus Pocus" in terms of Friday earnings, but Warner Bros. has not reported daily numbers and declined to comment. When overall weekend numbers are tallied on Sunday, it's likely that "Tenet" will beat "Hocus Pocus" for first place. But, "Hocus Pocus" led the way on Friday based on studios that reported figures.

"Hocus Pocus" was not a critical or commercial darling when it was first released in July 1993, grossing just $ 39 million on a budget of $ 28 million. (With this weekend's profits, its national balance sheet hovers at $ 40.5 million.) But in recent years, it has become a must-see TV event during the month of October and solidified its place as a cult classic. . The Halloween Favorite follows three witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a young boy in Salem, Massachusetts.

A sequel to "Hocus Pocus" is currently in the works at Disney Plus. Adam Shankman, best known for "Hairspray," "Step Up," and "A Walk to Remember," directs the follow-up to a screenplay by "Workaholics" writer Jen D'Angelo. At this time, it's unclear if any members of the original cast will return.