In November 2018, Focus released their fourteenth studio album Focus 11 to coincide with their 20-date UK tour. The album was available at each venue which was followed by its full release on 25 January 2019, via Cherry Red Records. [86] [87]

In May 2010, Nike included "Hocus Pocus" as the main theme in its 2010 FIFA World Cup commercial, Write the Future. The advert aired on television worldwide which generated renewed interest in the band and led to "Hocus Pocus" entering the UK Singles Chart at number 57. In late 2010, Gootjes rejoined the band as a replacement to a departing van der Steenhoven. In 2011, American rapper J. Cole sampled "Hocus Pocus" in his song "Blow Up", which is featured in the game MLB 11: The Show.Curiously, the human form for the role is portrayed by actor Sean Murray (who you might know, in the present, as an actor from NCIS). But the voice of the role, both in human and cat form, is provided by Jason Marsden. While you may know Marsden from various sitcom roles in the 1990s, you most likely know him—without realizing you do—from his extensive voice acting resume which includes, most famously, voicing Max Goof, the animated son of Goofy, since 1995. Whatever Winifred Sanderson can do Sarah Sanderson can pretty much do as well. Here we have a really cool Hocus Pocus Funko Pop! of Sarah airborne showing her mop flying skills to impressive effect. The band spent four days at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London in July 1972 recording their third album, Focus 3. [36] [4] They had written a considerable amount of material by this time which led to the decision to make a double album, mostly by van Leer and Akkerman. Focus 3 saw the group produce short and extended pieces, including the three-minute instrumental " Sylvia" and the group devised, 26-minute "Anonymous II" that devotes a solo spot for each member, and the addition of "House of the King". Upon its release in November 1972, the album went to number one in the Netherlands for one week, [19] number 6 in the UK, [27] and number 35 in the US. "Sylvia" was released as a single and reached number 4 in the UK in January 1973, the week after "Hocus Pocus" reached its peak on the same chart. [27] This marked the first time in a decade that a band had two concurrent songs without lyrics in the UK top 40. [37]

The filming budget for Hocus Pocus was pretty tight and one area where it shows—if you’re looking—is the town’s Halloween party.In November 2020, a box set containing new remasters of the band's albums from 1970 to 1976, with previously unreleased audio and video material, entitled 50 Years: Anthology 1970–1976, was released by Red Bullet Productions to commemorate the band's fiftieth anniversary. [88] This was followed in June 2021 by the release of Focus 50, a set featuring live material recorded in 2017 in Rio de Janeiro and a disc entitled Completely Focused, containing studio re-recordings of "Focus 1" through "Focus 12". [89] Released in October 1971, Moving Waves became the band's international breakthrough, reaching number 2 in the UK, [27] number 4 in the Netherlands, [19] and number 8 in the US. The album awarded Focus with a Conamus Export Award, their second Edison Award, [28] and gold certifications in the three aforementioned countries; the US award was issued in 1973 for selling 500,000 copies. [29] [1] Its success was helped by the release of "Hocus Pocus" as a single, released in the Netherlands in July 1971 which peaked at number 12 [30] and exposed the band to a new audience. It peaked at number 20 in the UK in January 1973. [27] In interviews, Sarah Jessica Parker has admitted she’d didn’t fully recall the movie or the plot (so I think it’s safe to say she hasn’t rewatched the film). Given the cutting and editing we mentioned earlier, we can forgive her for not recalling it clearly. Bette Midler considers it her favorite film among all her movies but doesn’t frequently rewatch it. Kathy Najimy, on the other hand, watches it every year with us like the best of fans.

Finally, we saved the best for last. For years there have been rumors about a Hocus Pocus sequel with rumor after rumor getting shot down. But now there’s a proper sequel in the works! No, really, we promise! a b "Go Focus Yourself... The THIJS VAN LEER Interview [November 2007]". The Ozymandias Progject. 25 October 2015 . Retrieved 3 March 2017. Flop is such a harsh word when describing any film, let alone one that would go on to enjoy such fame and adoration. The truth hurts sometimes, though, and Hocus Pocus was definitely not a run-away success out of the gate. If you’re looking for a very similar fountain that’s actually in New York City, however, do pop over to Cherry Hill Fountain in Central Park. It’s not the one from Friends but it looks pretty close and it’s actually in the city! One of the Houses Is Movie Frequent Flyer Disney/Warner Bros. While the bulk of the filming occurred on sound stages and movie lots in California, you might be interested to learn that a significant amount of the outdoor footage was shot on location in none other than Salem, MA.In early May 1973, Focus returned to Olympic Studios at Vernon's request and recorded a new cut of "Hocus Pocus" titled "Hocus Pocus II", released exclusively for the American market. [42] Later in the month, the band retreated to Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxfordshire to record a fourth studio album. Akkerman had expressed a wish to put down "great ideas" he had written over the past year, but extensive touring had left the band physically and mentally exhausted which reduced their eagerness to write and record new group material. Vernon recalled Akkerman's reluctance to take part in the sessions which to him, "led to the final dissolving of the Akkerman/van Leer partnership". [43] Around 40 minutes of songs was eventually recorded, yet the pair refused to co-operate and recorded their parts without the other present. [4] Vernon later called this period as "probably the worst ten days I've ever spent in a studio". [44] As a new studio album could not be released, Vernon took the recording from the Rainbow Theatre concerts and released it as a live album, At the Rainbow. The album went to number 23 in the UK in October 1973. The band went on to receive a Billboard Trendsetter Award for their success after notching up two gold albums, combining sales of one million copies sold in the US, and one gold single. [4] Recordings from the Chipping Norton sessions remained unreleased, rearranged years later, or included in the collection of previously unreleased Focus studio recordings Ship of Memories, in 1976. Radio Lux Exec Promotes Groups". Billboard. Vol.82, no.39. 26 September 1970. p.67. ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved 12 March 2017.