Sister Act 3 Cast, Director, Writer And More Details

If you were around in the '90s, then you definitely watched some kind of Whoopi Goldberg project. You might know her now as one of the hosts of "The View," but three decades ago, Goldberg was starring in major hit movies like "Ghost" and "The Lion King." When she wasn't winning an Oscar, she was hosting the awards show. And now, with a little help from the unstoppable Tyler Perry, Goldberg will be reprising one of her most famous roles for "Sister Act 3."

Though "Sister Act" is just one of Goldberg's beloved films, it's likely her most notable. Released in 1992, the movie was a box office smash, grossing nearly $230 worldwide. The film was so successful that it spawned a sequel one year later — the much less successful "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit." Hopefully, the third entry in the series will be more like the first film, and while we wait for the threequel to hit Disney+, here's what we know so far about "Sister Act 3."

Fans have been waiting quite a while for "Sister Act 3." The film was first announced way back in 2020 — during Disney's Investor Day — with the feature heading for Disney+. Unfortunately, there haven't been a ton of updates since then, but we have heard a few things here and there.

For example, in September 2022, the film's producer, Tyler Perry, went on "The View" and said, "The Hollywood system moves a little slower than I'd like to. So we've got a good script. We're off to a great start. We're just trying to get everybody moving in the direction so we can get going."

Then, in November 2022, Whoopi Goldberg went on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and confirmed things were heading in the right direction, saying, "The script came in yesterday. I really like it, but it has a whole lot of adults to go through. So, if they don't get in its way, it could actually be pretty good." However, the movie has yet to start shooting. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight in February 2024, Tyler Perry expressed some frustration with Disney's slow-moving machinery, saying, "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."

Goldberg has also slightly adjusted her previous screenplay statement. In March 2024, the Oscar winner told People that they're "still in the process of writing the script." However, she also promised the movie was "percolating." Plus, in June 2024, "Sister Act 2" star Tanya Trotter spoke with Entertainment Tonight and said that while she can't say if she's in the movie, she knows the script is done. So we haven't abandoned faith in "Sister Act 3" just yet.

We'll be honest — we aren't sure what "Sister Act 3" is going to be about. We know that the first film (released in 1992) centered around Whoopi Goldberg's Deloris Wilson, a Nevada lounge singer who, after seeing her mob-connected boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) kill an informant, enters witness protection. As a result, Deloris must hide out as a nun in a convent where she helps to revive a struggling choir.

In the sequel (released in 1993), Deloris returns to the fold when the nuns from the first film need her help teaching a group of troubled teens and dealing with a none-too-friendly administrator (James Coburn). Based on the premises of the first two movies, we'd assume that part three will involve Deloris teaching music to a group of people, but as we don't have any real details about the plot, that's all we can really surmise at the moment.

There haven't been any major announcements about the cast of "Sister Act 3" except for one (and the most important one at that). Yes, Whoopi Goldberg is coming back to play Deloris. Aside from that, there haven't been any developments regarding who will show up, although we have heard quite a few possibilities.

In a 2021 Variety piece, Goldberg was discussing the film and mused, "Maybe there's gonna be some of the kids [from 'Sister Act 2']. Who can say?" Then in October 2022, Goldberg went on Comedy Central's "Hell Week" and started talking about her dream cast, saying she'd love to bring Lizzo, Keke Palmer, and Nicki Minaj onto the project. "I want everybody," she said. "I want as many people who want to have some fun because I really, desperately need to have some fun."

What about returning actors from the original two films? Well, in September 2022, Goldberg said on "The View" that she would love to work with Jennifer Lewis. "I'd do everything I can to work with her because she's fun." As for Kathy Najimy, the "Hocus Pocus" actor went on "The View" in October 2022 and said, "I haven't heard anything formal about '3' yet." Goldberg has also said she'd love to see Maggie Smith as Mother Superior and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Florence Watson again. Nothing has been confirmed though, but we'll keep an eye out for future casting details.

The original "Sister Act" was directed by Emile Ardolino (who also helmed "Dirty Dancing") while the second one was directed by Bill Duke (yes, that Bill Duke, best known for his acting in gritty action movies like "Commando," "Predator," and "Mandy"). So who's stepping up to direct "Sister Act 3?"

According to Deadline, Tim Federle will be the one sitting in the director's chair. Federle is best known as the creator of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," and he directed the series' holiday special, along with 2022's musical comedy "Better Nate Than Ever." In other words, Federle sounds like the perfect pick to helm the upcoming Whoopi Goldberg musical.

As for scripting duties, those have gone to Madhuri Shekar. She worked on HBO's sci-fi show "The Nevers" and also penned the screenplay for "Evil Eye," part of Amazon's "Welcome to Blumhouse" series.

Whoopi Goldberg isn't the only major Hollywood player shepherding "Sister Act 3" to Disney+. As it turns out, she'll be co-producing the third film in the franchise with the one and only Tyler Perry. Most famous for his iconic character of Madea and her beloved series of films, Perry is incredibly excited about the project, telling The Hollywood Reporter in November 2021, "I think that this is just what the country needs. We need that feel-good moment in the movies where you go, 'Oh my God, I left there singing.' That's my hope."

While we're all waiting for Whoopi Goldberg to put her habit back on, we can pass the time by revisiting the musical adventures of Deloris Wilson. If you want to check out the original film released in 1992, then you can find it easily on Disney+. If you don't subscribe to the House of Mouse's streaming service, then you can rent the first "Sister Act" on sites such as Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, and YouTube.

Once you're done watching Deloris help out the convent's choir, you can see her teaching music to those kids in "Sister Act 2." Similar to the first film in the series, you can find the sequel streaming on Disney+. Or you can rent "Back in the Habit" on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, and YouTube.