Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Bette Midler revives Hocus Pocus' iconic Winnie Saunderson for halloween

'All my horrifying wishes for a most satisfying halloween …. Love, Winnie'

Maya Oppenheim
Monday 31 October 2016 17:23 GMT
Comments
Directed by Kenny Ortega, the horror-fantasy comedy tells the story of a villanious trio of witches who are resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem in Massachusetts on Halloween night
Directed by Kenny Ortega, the horror-fantasy comedy tells the story of a villanious trio of witches who are resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem in Massachusetts on Halloween night (Getty Images)

Hocus Pocus might have been something of a box-office flop when it first came out but it has without a doubt become a cult Halloween classic since.

To the great pleasure of many of her fans, Bette Midler has dressed up as the iconic Winnie Saunderson for Halloween this year - 23 years since the film came out.

The 70-year-old actor wore her trademark afro-esque burnt orange hair, green and purple robes and sported her prominent toothy grin to celebrate the 21st anniversary of New York's Restoration Project on Friday.

Hocus Pocus has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with people appearing to have an undying appetite for Midler and her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. Directed by Kenny Ortega, the horror-fantasy comedy tells the story of a villainous trio of witches who are resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem in Massachusetts on Halloween night.

“Well, all you Winnie worshipers, a gallery of your favorite witch is coming your way, starting at noon right here on Twitter!” Midler wrote.

“All my horrifying wishes for a most satisfying halloween …. Love, Winnie”.

Fans expressed their delight at Midler’s nostalgic choice of costume. “Bette Midler dressing up as her Hocus Pocus character is all I need to know that it will be the best Halloween ever,” said one. “Bette Midler dressed up as herself in Hocus Pocus and won Halloween,” chipped in another.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in