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Bette Midler: I don’t need ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ to burnish my gay icon status – Page Six

Bette Midler joked she doesn’t need “Hocus Pocus 2” to burnish her status as a gay icon.

“No!” she exclaimed to Page Six exclusively at the movie’s premiere in New York City on Tuesday. “This is worldwide, this is global, girl! Get a grip!”

The first “Hocus Pocus” movie came out in 1993 and centered on a trio of diabolical witches — played by Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy — who were awakened after being executed in the 17th century.

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in "Hocus Pocus 2."
Bette Midler joked she didn’t need “Hocus Pocus 2” to gain more gay fans.
AP

The film received mixed reviews and was not a box office success. But over the years, it developed a rabid fan base that kept calling for a sequel.

Midler seemed slightly gobsmacked on Tuesday that “Hocus Pocus 2” had finally been made, calling it “unbelievable.”

Disney's "Hocus Pocus 2" New York Premiere

Disney's "Hocus Pocus 2" New York Premiere

Midler brought her husband, Martin von Haselberg, to the premiere.

Getty Images

Hocus Pocus 2 World Premiere

Hocus Pocus 2 World Premiere

Midler also posed with her “Hocus Pocus 2” co-stars Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Getty Images for Disney

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“We [Midler, Najimy and Parker] sort of asked about it, asked about it,” the “Beaches” star explained to us. “When we finally realized it had become something, we asked about it again.

“They sort of neglected us, and then finally they decided it was time. Thirty years, girl!” she crowed.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy in "Hocus Pocus 2."
The sequel comes out 29 years after the original “Hocus Pocus.”
AP

It was a family affair on the red carpet, with many stars bringing kids and spouses.

Midler, 76, Najimy, 65, and Parker, 57, posed with their respective husbands, Martin von Haselberg, Dan Finnerty and Matthew Broderick. The “Sex and the City” alum’s rarely seen 13-year-old twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, also tagged along.

Bette Midler on a red carpet.
Midler says it’s “unbelievable” the sequel was finally made.
Getty Images

Other celebs at the packed premiere included Ralph Macchio with his daughter, Julia, as well as Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Hale and Sam Richardson.

Also there was “Girls” star Jemima Kirke, who snapped at a publicist for moving her and her two kids along the carpet.