Celebrity Parents Sarah Jessica Parker's Girls 'Excited' to Meet Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy on 'Hocus Pocus 2' Set Parker’s girls visited the Rhode Island set of Hocus Pocus 2, which is streaming on Disney+ Sept. 30 By Eric Andersson Eric Andersson Eric Andersson joined PEOPLE as a senior writer in 2022. His work has appeared in TV Guide Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 28, 2022 10:22AM EDT Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Count Sarah Jessica Parker's 13-year-old twins, Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge, among the millions who adore the 1993 Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. "They started watching this movie, I'm going to say about three years ago," Parker, 57, says in this week's issue of PEOPLE. So when the Sex and the City alum reunited with original costars Bette Midler, 76, and Kathy Najimy, 65, last year to film the sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, her daughters were thrilled. "They were so excited to meet Bette and Kathy. Loretta kept asking me, 'But wait, are we going to meet them as [their characters] Winnie and Mary? Or are we going to meet them as Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy?' " says Parker, who also shares son James Wilkie, 19, with husband Matthew Broderick, 60. The girls traveled to the Providence, Rhode Island, set, where Midler and Najimy "were in full costume, but they were themselves, which was confounding in some ways," continues Parker, adding that her girls were "super excited." Matt Kennedy/Disney Everything to Know About Hocus Pocus 2 Midler, asked if she hammed it up for Loretta and Tabitha, replies, "One always hams. One hams it up as often as one possibly can. Isn't that what life is about?" The original Hocus Pocus stars Parker, Midler and Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, Sarah, Winifred and Mary, colonial-era witches who wreak havoc in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts. In the sequel, the sisters rise again when the magical black flame candle is lit. Sarah Jessica Parker Is Joined by Matthew Broderick and Their Daughters at 'Hocus Pocus 2' Premiere Though Hocus Pocus has gained an enthusiastic cult following over the years, Midler and Parker both reflected on how the film had a long road to success. "When it came out, it got fair to middling reviews," Midler tells PEOPLE. "It didn't do much at the box office. And we were very disappointed because we thought it was hilarious, but when it migrated to TV, it suddenly found its footing. And not just found its footing, it became something that people really, really adored." "Like Bette said, I didn't realize its place in people's lives for many years," Parker adds in agreement. "Until it became abundantly clear that people had this relationship with it that wasn't a passing fancy, it was a standing date every year. Then it was their kids. Then it was the gay community, and it just kept growing." Hocus Pocus 2 is streaming on Disney+ Sept. 30. For more on Hocus Pocus 2, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.