Whoopi Goldberg says Sister Act 3 is coming together quickly and will be here sooner than fans think.
Talking with ET from Patti LaBelle’s 80th birthday celebration in New York City on Thursday, The View co-host, 68, said that while most details are being kept under lock and key at this time, those who have been waiting 30 years since the last film came out will be happy to hear that things are happening behind the scenes.
“I can say it’s coming,” Goldberg shared. “It’s coming around the mountain when it comes. It’ll be here soon. I’m excited. It’s time for it, you know, it’s time.”
The legendary actress — who starred as Deloris Van Cartier and her witness protection alter ego, Sister Mary Clarence — in the 1992 original and its 1993 sequel — added that after years of delays, she believes now is the right time to move it forward.
Whoopi Goldberg as Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence in ‘Sister Act’ – Sister Act
“Because we need to laugh, you know?” she said. “I don’t know what we’re going into, but whatever it is, I’m gonna need to chuckle a lot…I think I’m good when I make other people laugh, too.”
Earlier this month, Goldberg shared an update on production for the third film, saying she recently offered Pope Francis — who she said seemed to “be a bit of a fan” — a cameo in the forthcoming movie.
Talking with Jimmy Fallon during a Tonight Show stop, she said, “I offered one. He said he’d see what his time was like.”
Aside from the fact that Goldberg is returning as star and producer and that Tyler Perry will produce as well, little details about the plot, cast and production timeline have emerged since the actress went on Watch What Happens Live! back in 2018 and pitched a sequel. Disney did ultimately announce in 2020 that the project would become a reality over on Disney+, but updates have been few and far between.
In February, while promoting his film Mea Culpa for Netflix, Perry, 54, voiced his own frustrations over the snail-like speed at which production on the film was moving, sharing with ET that it has not been abandoned whatsoever.
“I’m a little annoyed with how long this has taken me. It’s taking so long, like I’ve done four movies since we started talking about this,” he said. “When I’m outside producing with — you know, Disney’s a huge, wonderful company, but I really want to get this movie and Whoopi really wants to get this movie.”
Goldberg previously offered similar insight in 2022, telling ET that progress was slow as those in charge were committed to getting it right.
“We gotta shoot it, but it’s happening,” she said. “You’re never fully happy with a script because one of the things you find is you wanna have the space to make an adjustment if you need to. Sometimes what looks right on paper doesn’t come out of your mouth the right way. You have to move it around a little bit but I’m very hopeful people will be happy.”
Whoopi Goldberg in a behind-the-scenes pic from ‘Sister Act’ – Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images
Earlier this year, when Sheryl Lee Ralph — who played Florence Watson in 1993’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit — visited The View to promote the third season of Abbott Elementary, Goldberg surprised the star by asking her to return to the daytime talk show for a Sister Act-themed episode and to cameo in the third film.
Ralph — who won an Emmy for her role as Barbara Howard on the hit ABC show — responded that she “would love to” return for a cast reunion soon. And when Goldberg threw out the pitch for her to join the cast of Sister Act 3, she emotionally reacted to that as well.
Goldberg has been very open about getting an eclectic group of stars together for the cast, tossing out names, including Lizzo and Keke Palmer, the latter who has expressed her own interest in the film.
The movie — which will also purportedly star comedian Tiffany Haddish — comes from director Tim Federle, whose previous works include Better Nate Than Never and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. A release date has not been set at this time.
For more ET coverage on the threequel, check out the links below.
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