Whoopi Goldberg opens up about her return as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act 3. Released in 1992, Sister Act was a smash at the box office and solidified Goldberg’s status as a Hollywood star after her Oscar-winning role in Ghost. Directed by Emile Ardolino, Sister Act follows nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier (Goldberg), who seeks the refuge of a nun’s convent as Sister Mary Clarence after she witnesses a horrendous crime.
Following the runaway success of Sister Act, the musical comedy spawned a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, which saw the return of Goldberg as Deloris. Released in 1993, Back in the Habit also brought back the original convent choir while featuring a new mix of talent, including Lauryn Hill as Rita Watson. Co-starring Hill, Kathy Najimy, Mary Wickes, Wendy Makkena, and Maggie Smith as Mother Superior, Back in the Habit appeared to be the singing nun’s final curtain call. Then, in 2018, Disney announced Sister Act 3 was officially in development. Last year, the third installment of Sister Act attached Tom Federle (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) to direct.
Now, Goldberg offers an update on the highly-anticipated project. Speaking with ET, Goldberg teases Deloris’ story details in Sister Act 3 and says the character is much more of an adult in the new film. Goldberg reveals that stepping back into the role three decades later “feels right.” The Sister Act star explains that shooting the first two films back-to-back worked well at the time, but the third film being developed now has helped the character to evolve. Check out Goldberg’s comment on Sister Act 3 below:
It feels right. Because we did Sister Act 1 and 2 back-to-back, which is why I think they are really great. But now you need some space on it and you need to let [my character] grow up and become an adult which is what’s happened. We’ll see. She was an adult when she started but she’s much more of an adult now.
Produced by Tyler Perry, Sister Act 3 has kept most major details under wraps, including the storyline, title, and release date. For now, it seems Goldberg is satisfied with the progress Sister Act 3 had made. While the cast list for the third film has yet to be announced, it can hopefully be expected that fan-favorite nuns Mother Superior (Smith), Sister Mary Robert (Makkena), and Sister Mary Patrick (Najimy), will join Deloris as she embarks on a chapter of her life.
Indeed, fans of Sister Act and Back in the Habit should be excited by Goldberg’s update. The actress has expressed that the timing was crucial to step back into her iconic role, and it seems the film is panning out to Goldberg’s satisfaction after being stuck in development for a few years. Goldberg has been an advocate for Sister Act 3 for decades, and it could be the last time she portrays Deloris Van Cartier. Of course, Sister Act enthusiasts have a lot of reveals to look forward to as the beloved franchise continues to workshop a satisfying third entry with Sister Act 3.
