The next Sister Act movie has found its creative team. With Whoopi Goldberg on board to return, Sister Act 3 was previously announced by Disney as an upcoming exclusive title that will stream on Disney+. While it was known that Goldberg would return, it’s now being reported that Tim Federle has signed on to direct the sequel with Madhuri Shekar writing the script. Goldberg is also producing alongside Tyler Perry and Tom Leonardis.
Per Deadline, Federle was chosen in part to direct the third Sister Act movie based on the success of the GLAAD-award-winning series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a show he created and executive produces. Inspired by the High School Musical franchise, the show was developed exclusively for Disney+ and has just been renewed for a third season. Federle co-wrote 2017’s Ferdinand which was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Oscars and Golden Globes.
Tim Federle also earned high praise with Disney execs based on his director’s cut of the upcoming Disney+ movie Better Nate Than Ever with Lisa Kudrow. All of this in mind put Federle high up on the wish list to direct Sister Act 3, as they reportedly saw him as the right person for the job for this “joyful, musical, nostalgic project with a fresh take.” The project partners him up with writer Madhuri Shekar, whose credits include the movie Evil Eye and the upcoming Netflix series The Three Body Problem.
No information has been revealed about the plot of Sister Act 3. All that’s really known at this time is that Whoopi Goldberg will be back as Deloris Van Cartier, the lounge singer who ends up joining a convent as a way of disguising herself from mobsters in pursuit. Goldberg has also teased that some of the children from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit will return, making special appearances in Sister Act 3.
In the original Sister Act, written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Emile Ardolino, singer Deloris Van Cartier (Goldberg) is placed into a witness protection program after witnessing a gangster murdering an informant. She is given a new life as a nun, where she takes to leading the choir and actually enjoying her time at the convent. The movie was a tremendous hit at the box office when it was released in 1992.
Whoopi Goldberg returned as Deloris in 1993’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. This time, she slips back into her nun guise as Sister Mary Clarence to help teach music to troubled teens with the hope of keeping their school from closing. The sequel made nowhere near the profits of the original, though it has built a bit of a cult following in subsequent years. There had been calls for Sister Act 3 to happen for many years, and producer Tyler Perry has been trying for a long time to finally get it made.
There had been rumblings of the sequel happening for a while, but it was made official in December during Disney Investor Day. At the time, the company announced that Sister Act 3 was a go for Disney+ with Whoopi Goldberg already signed on. The only other detail revealed at the time was that Tyler Perry would also be producing the feature with Whoopi. This news comes to us from Deadline.