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Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton spent years trying to make a sequel to The First Wives Club before Keaton’s shocking death last week.
On Thursday night’s (Oct. 16) episode of Watch What Happens Live, Midler revealed just how hard the trio pushed for a sequel to the 1996 comedy.
“We tried and tried and tried,” she said. “All of us tried. We got together and tried. We tried singly, doubly, triply. We really, really tried. We got all sorts of producers involved, but there was something going on at Paramount. They just dug in their heels.”
Milder added, “They just didn’t feel like it. We were really insulted.”
The actress’ confession came less than a week after Keaton’s family announced that she died of pneumonia at the age of 79.
“I’ve always adored her,” Midler said. “She was so unique, so special, so completely who she was, and inimitable. I used to go home and try to do that style that she had. I couldn’t do it. Nobody could do it. I’ve seen a lot of people come close but nobody has ever done the true spirit that she used [to do]. She was an extraordinary, extraordinary personality.”
The Academy Award-nominated actress recalled working with Keaton and Hawn on The First Wives Club, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.
“We had so much fun on that [movie],” Midler remembered. “I think that was the most fun I ever had. Those two girls, between them, I was on the floor every single day. I was crying with laughter. We had a wonderful time.”
While The First Wives Club never got a sequel, Midler was happy when Disney finally gave into Hocus Pocus 2, which came out in 2022.
“Hocus Pocus took 30 years,” she said. “We used to lobby Disney all the time. ‘Hocus Pocus, yeah! Look at these numbers!’”
As for what’s going on with Hocus Pocus 3, Midler told the audience, “They sent a script and a lot of it was brilliant so I got very excited. Now, we’re sort of trying to figure out what it is and where it’s going to be and how much it’s gonna cost and all those logistical things.”
Watch What Happens Live airs Sunday through Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
