Whoopi Goldberg has confirmed that Sister Act 3 is currently in development. The comedic musical franchise found much success in the early 1990s, with Goldberg taking on the lead role of Reno lounge singer Deloris Wilson, who poses as a nun after witnessing a murder.
The first film drew in a cumulated worldwide gross of over $230 million at the box office in 1992. Based on this somewhat unexpected success, a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, arrived a year later, though it failed to meet the same degree of financial or critical success. Nonetheless, both films have gone on to somewhat cult statuses, especially with fans of other feel-good musical comedies such as School of Rock or the Pitch Perfect franchise. Since Sister Act 2’s arrival, the film is arguably more popular than ever, and many fans have insisted that a third film should be made. For her part, Goldberg’s career as an actress is not what it was in the 1990s, with her now focusing most of her time on TV, particularly as co-host of The View. This isn’t to say that the Oscar-winning actress wouldn’t be in favor of returning to the role of Wilson, should the opportunity arise.
As things currently stand, it looks as though Goldberg may be getting ready to return for Sister Act 3. During a recent interview on The Late Late Show With James Corden, the subject of the franchise came up, with Corden wanting to know just why a third film had never been made. Goldberg initially stated that the general reason for not making a Sister Act 3was that it was believed that “no one wanted to see it.” However, in recent years it has apparently become clear that demand for the sequel might exist indeed. Said Goldberg:
“For a long time they kept saying no one wanted to see it. And then, quite recently, it turns out that that may not be true – people might want to see it. So, we’re working diligently to try to figure out how to get every…get the gang together and come back. Listen, it’s a really fun movie. It’s fun and it feels good and you know, nobody’s mad, you know, it’s just like, listen: bad singing, great singing, okay singing and then nuns. What is better than that? Nothing.”
Goldberg certainly might have a point. With the world in the state it currently is in, there is no shortage of people who want to be entertained. Though some would argue that the franchise peaked in the ’90s, the passage of time has changed the demand for musical comedies. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a better time for a third Sister Act than right now. This is likely the same opinion shared by Disney, who has reportedly been developing the sequel since 2018, to release it on Disney+. Whether or not this is the case remains to be seen, as previous reports had stated that the new film would be a remake and not necessarily an official sequel. However, as is typically the case in Hollywood, plans for a project can literally change overnight.
In addition to the present being ripe for musical comedies, it’s also apparently a great time for sequels to decades-old hits. Eddie Murphy’s Coming 2 America is on its way, and Disney is currently at work getting a Three Men and A Baby reboot off the ground. If these films can be considered to have legitimate demand behind them, then surely Sister Act 3 is no different.
Source: The Late Late Show With James Corden via YouTube