Hocus Pocus' Hilarious 'Calming Circle' Scene Was Improvised by Kathy Najimy, Director Reveals

Hocus Pocus includes a number of iconic scenes and quotes — and some of the most famous were unplanned, according to director Kenny Ortega.

One such moment? When Mary Sanderson (played by Kathy Najimy) insists to her sisters Winnie (Bette Midler) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) that they "form a calming circle" before setting out to prey on children on Halloween night in 1993 Salem, Massachusetts.

"I AM CALM!" Winnie yells in reply before relenting. The Sanderson sisters then embrace one another and rotate in a circle as they chant in part, "Think soothing thoughts," before a bus arrives to pick them up.

"The calming circle, Kathy came up with that," Ortega, 73, told Entertainment Weekly, adding that Najimy was "pulling [Midler and Parker] in, [saying that] it's time for a calming circle" — which led the other two to "[come] in and [take] the deep breaths" that continued the scene.

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According to the director, the iconic walk the sisters do — in which they link arms and stalk forward, swaying back and forth while grunting in unison — was also improvised.

"That evolved out of [us being] there, they needed to move from point A to point B, and that just sort of happened," Ortega told EW of the witchy walk, which Midler, 77, Parker, 58, and Najimy, 66, went on to reprise in 2022's Hocus Pocus 2.

And while they stuck heavily to the script written by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, Ortega called the Hocus Pocus cast "improvisational geniuses" who expanded upon the duo's words. "We honored the writing, and then we had a party," he said.

Ortega also said "there were a number of moments like [the walk] throughout the film, where we were just surprised with how ideas just arrived."

"I think [we created] a set that allowed everybody to have some fun and be experimental and non-judgmental and just let things play out," he added.

In Hocus Pocus, Midler, Parker and Najimy's Sanderson sisters are three cursed witches who return to Salem 300 years after their death by hanging — thanks to the lighting of the Black Flame Candle by teenager Max (Omri Katz) — in search for some youthful souls to devour.

The sequel, which premiered last fall, sees a new group of teens (played by Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo and Lilia Buckingham) who light the candle once more, bringing the witches back for an encore as they set out for revenge and power before the sun rises on All Hallows' Eve.

A third Hocus Pocus film was announced as officially in development at Disney in June, after Hocus Pocus 2 broke streaming records when it debuted the previous September on Disney+.

No other information was given about the third film, including a release date or casting. But Midler, Parker and Najimy have all said that they'd be open to making another movie.

Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are streaming on Disney+.