‘Hocus Pocus 3’ in Development at Disney

McKinley Franklin editor Veteran film producer Divya D’Souza has joined Invention Studios as senior VP of development and production. D’Souza will report to Invention CEO Nicholas Weinstock and oversee the company’s slate of TV series and features. She joins the company after seven years as an executive at Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone’s On the Day Productions. There, she served as a producer on projects including “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents,” “Betrayal & Greed,” “Thunder Force,” “God’s Favorite Idiot,” “Little Big Shots,” “Superintelligence,” “Happytime Murders,” “Nobodies” and “Life of the Party.” “Divya is a kind and creative superstar of an executive,” stated Weinstock, announcing D’Souza’s hiring. “I’m thrilled to have her big brain and big heart onboard as we welcome all kinds of writers, directors, and actors and help them to do the coolest things they possibly can.”

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Prince Aden,” a new drama by Italian directing duo Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio, known internationally for their immigration-themed “Seven Acts of Mercy,” is among projects selected by Locarno’s Alliance for Development initiative. The platform, now in its 8th year, is geared towards fostering co-productions between France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Inspired by the book “Partigiani d’Oltremare,” by Italian historian Matteo Petracci, the De Serio twins’ new colonial-era film follows the vicissitudes of a 16-year-old Somali named Aden Sicré who in 1935 becomes a soldier in the Italian army that invaded Ethiopia on Mussolini’s orders. In an unexpected turn, he becomes hailed as a war hero by the Fascist regime. Then a few years later Aden and other African fighters play a pivotal role in the partisan struggle against fascism in Europe.

Rebecca Souw There’s more to Korean TV than a greenlit second season of “Squid Game” and Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO, shed new light on what’s making the “Korean wave” worthy of large-scale commitment. After meeting with leading helmer Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy” and upcoming series “War and Revolt”) and 100 film students a day earlier, Sarandos on Wednesday held a public forum at Seoul’s Four Seasons Hotel on the future of Korean content. The abundant glad-handing follows a public commitment made in April to spend $2.5 billion on original Korean content over the next four years. “[Korean content] is very often unpredictable and catches the American audience by surprise,” said Sarandos at the event. “I think what’s brilliant is to see film, unscripted and series all grow according to the interests of our Korean audience.”

Major plans to build new offices and a car park next to Manchester’s newest city centre park have been changed.

Christine McCarthy, a significant figure in Disney’s senior management team in recent years, is stepping down and taking a medical leave of absence from the company.

A historic cricket ground in Wigan has submitted plans to replace their dilapidated clubhouse and build five new homes on the site in order to save their club.

EXCLUSIVE: The Gotham Film & Media Institute has today named the student filmmakers selected to participate this summer in the fifth cycle of its Gotham EDU Film and Media Career Development Program, a six-week initiative helping to launch students into the media workforce.

An application to create shared accommodation for contract workers will return to Falkirk Council's planning committee once councillors visit the site.

North Ayrshire’s newest 71-unit housing development has officially opened at Irvine Harbourside.

https://t.co/27ETuDLLf1— P!nk (@Pink) June 12, 2023My grandfather is spinning in his grave. https://t.co/Qb5lV9ChbF— Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) June 12, 2023The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: “We are aware of these groups that aim to agitate and incite people with antisemitic symbols and slurs.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent ANNECY —  In what looks like one of the biggest announcements at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival, Disney Branded Television has greenlit a new animated series for preschoolers, “Disney Junior’s Ariel,” inspired by the hugely popular story of “The Little Mermaid.”  The announcement is set to be made today by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, during the Annecy Animation Festival, at a new project and sneak peak picked presentation across the upcoming slate of Disney Branded Television and Disney EMEA titles. The new series follows a young Ariel and features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions. “Disney Junior’s Ariel” is set to debut on Disney platforms worldwide in 2024.

Disney has given the green light to an animated series for preschoolers Disney Junior’s Ariel inspired by The Little Mermaid.

Ben Croll Three days after a barbarous playground attack left the lakeside town in grief and shock, and in an amphitheater facing the public park where the tragedy occurred, the Annecy Intl. Animation Festival inaugurated this year’s edition with a show of solidarity and communal defiance. “In response to barbarity, this festival will hold up creativity and artistic perspective,” said event organizer Dominique Puthod as he addressed the lively crowd. “You will bring color and wonder to the eyes of young and old alike, on bruised and battered paper, as a tribute to life.” “The best response to this tragedy is to live even more forcefully and more intensely,” added Annecy mayor François Astorg. “With this conviction art and culture celebrates life, and enables us to change the world to make it a better place.”

“We are incredibly honored to host a new group of emerging filmmakers who will undoubtedly bring their passion, stories and insights to the program each day,” said Academy governor and education and outreach committee chair Wynn P. Thomas.

Academy Gold Rising career development program. Gold Rising teams up with several studios and organizations to aid students and young professionals from underrepresented communities develop their careers in the film industry. This year’s slate includes 90 students and 21 film and entertainment companies. The eight-week program kicked off on Wednesday with a two-day orientation process, consisting of a presentation on the Academy Film Archive and tours of the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  The Gold Rising program will commence with a graduation ceremony on August 10. After completion of the program, participants will be matched up with an Academy member for an eight-month mentorship experience. 

in The New York Times. Bailey confirmed that there was another film in development — although, at the time, not much else was known.It’s currently unclear, for instance, if original stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker will be back for “Hocus Pocus 3,” or if other actors from the first film who skipped “Hocus Pocus 2” (like Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw and Jason Marsden) will return for the new movie.

EXCLUSIVE: Bestselling author Ruth Ware’s latest novel, Zero Days, has been optioned by Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. According to sources, UIS landed the book in a bidding, with 10 parties — both U.S. and UK — pursuing the title, which will be published June 20 by Gallery/Scout Press and July 6 by Simon & Schuster UK.

Hocus Pocs, Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in the works. President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production Sean Bailey confirmed in an interview with published Sunday, June 4, that the studio is making a second sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic horror-comedy Hocus Pocus, among more than 50 other slated projects. After many years (we're talking literal decades) of anticipation, Hocus Pocus 2 was finally released exclusively on Disney+ in 2022.

, Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production confirmed that is in the works. While the Disney executive didn't confirm any further details, he made the reveal during the interview while discussing the success of the live-action,, and while confirming the live-action versions of,, and .  found success last year after it was released on Disney+.

Halloween just keeps on getting better and better. Last year, fans of the iconic film Hocus Focus were treated to a second offering, almost 30 years after the release of the first movie. Starring the original three Sanderson sister witches - Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), Winifred (Bette Midler) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), the film followed two young women as they accidentally brought back the sisters to modern day Salem.