Hocus Pocus (1993 film) the movie, in an attempt to prove there's nothing to the story. Hocus Pocus (1993 film) Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Kenny Ortega, starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker; written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, and based on a story by Garris and David Kirschner. It follows a villainous trio of witches, who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts. Although it was not a critical or commercial success when it was first released, "Hocus Pocus" has become a cult film, largely from annual airings on
Bette Midler pop standards "Winter Wonderland"/"Let It Snow" with Johnny Mathis. Well-received, the album garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2007. The same year, Midler returned to the big screen, appearing in "Then She Found Me", Helen Hunt's feature film directorial debut. Also starring Hunt along with Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth, the comedy-drama film tells the story of a 39-year-old Brooklyn elementary school teacher, who after years is contacted by the flamboyant host of a local talk show, played by Midler, who introduces herself as her biological mother. Critical response to the film was mixed;