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(Left to right) Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in "Hocus Pocus 2."
Matt Kennedy/Disney+
Nearly three decades after 1993’s Hocus Pocus introduced the spooky Sanderson sisters, Bette Midler (76), Kathy Najimy (65) and Sarah Jessica Parker (57) are reuniting for a sequel, streaming on Disney+ on Sept. 30. Armed with their dark magic skills — including electrokinesis, an enhanced sense of smell and a hypnotic siren song — the witches are set to hilariously terrorize a new generation of young Salem residents. The sequel will also welcome characters played by Ted Lasso Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham, Veep costars Tony Hale (51) and Sam Richardson, and a trio of RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants playing drag versions of Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson. But before you fall under the Sandersons’ spell once again, check out this coven of other cinematic witches, who run the gamut from silly to scary and make for a perfectly enchanting watchlist.
The Wicked Witch of the West in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)
The actress: Margaret Hamilton
Who is she?: Ranked fourth on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest movie villains of all time, the green-skinned baddie has become the prototypical image of a witch, complete with a pointed black hat and a broomstick. Spurred on by Dorothy’s accidental killing of her sister, she’s all about vengeance, complete with a hoard of flying monkeys to help her in her nefarious quest. Over the years, there have been attempts to soften her image, as in the musical prequel Wicked, which comes to the big screen in 2024, starring Broadway’s Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. But nothing will ever compare to the Scarecrow-burning, Toto-threatening original.
Special powers: Shooting fireballs from her hands, flying on a broomstick, spying on her enemies using a crystal ball
Watch it: The Wizard of Oz, on Prime Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
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Gillian Holroyd in ‘Bell, Book and Candle’ (1958)
The actress: Kim Novak
Who is she?: In this quirky romantic comedy set in 1950s Greenwich Village, witches and warlocks masquerade as the neighborhood’s beatniks. Gillian (Novak) is a modern-day witch who owns an African art gallery, and when she finds out that her charming book publisher neighbor Shep (Jimmy Stewart) is engaged to her old college nemesis, she casts a love spell on him. The only catch: If she falls for him in return, she’ll lose all her powers!
Special powers: Using her cat Pyewacket to cast spells, summoning strangers
Watch it: Bell, Book and Candle, on the Criterion Channel
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