There was definitely a before and after for witches in cinematic history whenHocus Pocuscame out in 1993. The fan-favorite sisters took over the witchy genre and showed audiences worldwide what witches are capable of. With Halloween parties, songs, and a sidekick cat, it became a legendary movie.
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TheSanderson Sisters will conjure up their magic onHocus Pocus 2, but they are not the only witches worth the viewers’ time. From trios to solos and mother-daughter duos, witches have been around for decades. The track record shows they will be around for many years.
‘The Witches of Eastwick’ (1987)
In 1987,Cher,Susan Sarandon, andMichelle Pfeiffercombined forces under directorGeorge Millerto becomeThe Witches of Eastwick. First impressions may have viewers thinking it’s about friendship, but they soon realize these friends are witches.
Putting together powerful witches, voodoo dolls, and a man compared to the devil, the movie delivers the best in its genre as a dark fantasy comedy. AlongsideJack Nicholson, the three women gave a memorable performance that allowed their coven of three to open the path for the Sanderson sisters.
‘Wicked Stepmother’ (1989)
In 1989,Larry Cohendecided to take matters into his own hands, and he wrote, produced, and directed his own black comedy about witches.Wicked Stepmotheris the last filmBette Davisever did, although she later backed down from the project.
Davis’s character and her daughter (Barbara Carrera) are witches. However, the two can never be seen together in human form. While one is human, the other inhabits a black cat. This helped explain Davis’s absence.
‘The Witches’ (1990)
There is a magical moment in the realm of cinema that happens when a movie brings a book to life in a perfect manner. That happened in 1990 whenThe Witchespremiered, bringingRoald Dahl’s book to the big screen.Anjelica Hustonwas one of the most terrifying witches in movie history, becoming every child’s nightmare.
Alongside Huston wasMai Zetterling,who portrayed the Grand High Witch’s enemy. The witches’ transformation was amazingly done for its time and remained one of the best. It allowed the audience to see how monstrous witches can be.
‘Hocus Pocus’ (1993)
In 1993,Bette Midler,Sarah Jessica Parker, andKathy Najimyput a spell on the audience when they became the Sanderson sisters. After the Black Flame Candle is lit by a virgin on Halloween, the sisters come back to life, ready to wreak havoc.
Their outfits allowed the sisters to fit perfectly fine, but their psychedelic personalities made them stand out. That is exactly what caused the audience to fall in love with this trio. Although they were defeated at the movie’s end,Hocus Pocus 2will bring the sisters back into everyone’s life.
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‘Practical Magic’ (1998)
Althoughthe critics hated it, the audience didn’t agree when it came toPractical Magic. In 1998, two of Hollywood’s most renowned and talented actresses took over the screen together as sisters:Sandra BullockandNicole Kidman.
The two cursed witches are on a journey to find everlasting love. With a cast that includedGoran Visnjic,Aidan Quinn, andEvan Rachel Wood, the movie opens the path in the witches’ genre to prove these powerful women also deserve love.
‘Bewitched’ (2005)
If playing a witch once wasn’t enough, Nicole Kidman became another famous witch when she portrayed Samantha Stephens inBewitched. In 2005,Nora Ephronco-wrote, produced, and directed the movie, transporting the original TV series to the big screen.
The movie plot introduced the audience to an actor (Will Ferrell) who will be a part of the sitcom’s remake. He finds himself falling in love with the actress and realizing she is a witch. The comedy includes names likeShirley MacLaine,Michael Caine, andKristin Chenoweth.
‘Twitches’ (2005)
Hocus Pocusproved there could be movies about witches made for the entire family to enjoy. Noticing this trend, in 2005, Disney Channel premiered the original movieTwitchesbased on the series by Scholastic Press.
The twin sisters are separated after their father’s death and grew up unaware of each other’s existence. Once they came together, they realized their forces needed to be combined to defeat evil. The stars of the movie wereTia MowryandTamera Mowry.
‘Into the Woods’ (2014)
Into The WoodsputMeryl Streepinthe race for Best Supporting Actressat the Oscars in 2015 for her portrayal of the Witch. Disney decided to turn the famous musical byStephen Sondheimand book byJames Lapineinto a movie with some of the biggest names in Hollywood:Christine Baranski,Emily Blunt,Anna Kendrick, andTracey Ullman.
Just like the book and the play, the 2014 movie follows the story of the baker and his wife as they attempt to collect all the items requested by the witch to break the spell cast upon their family that makes it impossible for them to have children. Between songs, each character shares their story with a twist on the well-known fairy tales.
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‘The Witch’ (2015)
The WitchwasRobert Eggers’s directorial debut andAnya Taylor-Joy’s first film. It follows a well-known line in which witches are usually related to evil and persecuted by people with strong religious beliefs. In the movie’s case, it is a Puritan family who came face to face with evil forces in New England.
“Evil” won as the main character joined a coven. However, the movies allowed viewers to understand what belonging means as this woman finally feels understood when she joins others who are like her.
Roald Dahl’s The Witches (2020)
It seems to be a trend to remake movies that were once successful, so it was no surprise that in 2020 they did a remake ofThe Witches:Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Like every remake, it had its differences and twists to ensure it wasn’t a copy of the first one. However, the main plot remained the same as a boy came face to face with the witches.
This time around,Anne Hathawayplayed the Grand High Witch andOctavia Spencer,her long-time enemy. With special effects and the appearance ofStanley Tucci, the movie terrorized a new generation of kids.
