The success of Hocus Pocus 2 as the most-watched Disney+ film of all time with a first weekend of 2.7 billion views, leading many to question whether the sequel to the nearly 30-year-old film should have hit theaters, especially during a drought in the fall theaters. was desperate for it.
The thing is, some of those green lights for direct-to-Disney+ movies happened during the pandemic, when theaters closed and research showed women would have the hardest time getting back to theaters. Additionally, such long-awaited sequels to female contortions on Disney+ seemed ripe rather than rolling the dice theatrically.
This Friday sees another sequel to a popular Disney feature, disappointed, which goes straight to Disney+ and skips theaters. This is the long-awaited sequel to bewitched, which Amy Adams probably created as a marquee 15 years ago. The film grossed over $340 million worldwide and received three Academy Award nominations for original songs.
Today on Crew Call, franchise producer Barry Josephson tells us why it took so long for Part 2; One of the major forces at the studio was Walt Disney Motion Pictures Production President Sean Bailey, who has always believed in the need for a sequel.
Still, with Adams and James Marsden’s original cast, Idina Menzel and Patrick Dempsey returning, and songwriters Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, why disillusioned go straight to Disney+?
“It was a situational thing,” Josephson tells us, “this film was developed like a movie.”
“My evolution to get the green light happened in the midst of Covid, and as our whole world changed and streaming became more important.”
“When I got the call: ‘How do you feel about this being a streaming movie?’ I was excited,” explains the producer.
“I also understood that there are all these streaming services, and if Disney is the premier family streaming service, why not stream everything exclusively? Two plus two made four for me.”
“They told me, ‘You’re going to make this film the way you made it as a movie. It excited me.”
“It didn’t mean we scaled back our idea,” he continues, “the service spends a significant amount of money on its subscribers.”
Josephson adds, “It’s a period of adjustment that people have to get used to. There will be this exclusive streaming.”
Listen to our conversation with Josephson below:
pmc-u-font-size-14″>Writer pmc-u-font-size-14″>Writer: Anthony D’Alessandro
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
