Right down to the day, it’s felt like 300 years have passed, but now that the witches are back, there will be consequences for making fans wait so long for Hocus Pocus 2.
Even as we rage about the delay, there is unquestionably enchantment in the air as Disney prepares the eagerly awaited follow-up to its Halloween blockbuster. In the first movie, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy played a group of Salem witches who liked to terrorize, hex, and eat the souls of young people. The three sisters were kidnapped and hanged by Salem’s puritan residents, and they remained dead for a couple hundred years. However, a group of children, including Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch, unintentionally brought them back to life.
Check out all we currently know about Hocus Pocus 2 before its autumn release, including who is returning (and who isn’t), story information, and how some members of the RuPaul’s Drag Race family helped brew the film’s nostalgic potion of cinema sorcery.
Hocus Pocus 2: What’s it about ?
Details of the Hocus Pocus 2 plot are still unresolved, much like the mouth of Billy Butcherson’s corpse (likely with ancient moths gestating somewhere inside). On June 28, Disney (Moon Knight Season 2) published the first teaser trailer for the movie, revealing some of the film’s lighter plot themes. As the witches seek revenge on Salem once more, the studio promised more “comedic mayhem” from them, this time with three new high school kids (Belissa Escobedo, Whitney Peak, and Lilia Buckingham) determined to prevent their evil schemes.
The teaser also showed that Peak’s character is celebrating her 16th birthday, which, in the world of the movie, is the age at which a witch usually acquires her abilities. The teaser also featured some of John Debney’s renowned score from the original.
Hocus Pocus 2 Cast: Who’s returning to star and who isn’t?
Following Disney’s 2019 revelation that a sequel was formally in development, Midler, Parker, and Najimy were the first to sign on (after fielding countless inquiries about a potential sequel over the years).
EW stated that Birch, who played Dani Dennison in the original movie, will not return for the sequel because to filming commitments on Netflix’s Wednesday series, from which she would later resign. This was verified after production got underway in late 2021. According to a source, Disney invited Birch to portray an adult Dani who would have assisted three contemporary youths in ending the witches’ psychotic rule over Salem on Halloween in a “nice supporting role.”
Later, it was revealed that Doug Jones would be making a comeback as Billy Butcherson, Winifred’s zombie ex-boyfriend who she called from the dead to aid her in kidnapping Max, Allison, and Dani (though he eventually turned on his re-animator to help the youths fight back). Billy’s full name is displayed on a grave in the teaser trailer, but the character isn’t seen among the (rotting) flesh.
Jason Marsden, who provided the black cat’s voice in the original movie, has also been confirmed by EW to not be appearing in the follow-up. The witches punished Thackery for attempting to rescue his sister Emily from their clutches by casting a curse that would cause him to live forever as a cat. Remember that we’re talking about a movie that continues the tale of a witch who exploded into dust while riding a flying vacuum cleaner before you start shrieking that it’s ridiculous to even imagine that Thackery Binx may return.
The teaser trailer does, however, feature a black cat that is seen staring at the eye of Winifred’s book (well, okay: “BoooooooOOOOOOOooooook!”) as it opens for the first time in thirty years.
Going forward There is currently no information on whether Katz and Shaw shot scenes for Hocus Pocus 2, despite Shaw telling Entertainment Tonight that she had not “heard anything” about a sequel.
She acknowledged that it was quite frustrating. “I’d adore to work on the follow-up. It would be very enjoyable. Why can’t we all return in some way? In my opinion, younger folks merely have a different plot.”
Shaw continued by speculating on Allison’s possible whereabouts in the sequel. “Max (Katz) and Allison seem to still be together, but Allison is from Salem, and he always seems to want to be in California. I believe they reached some sort of agreement, so perhaps she will be in Salem when the witches return, perhaps spending time with her mother or something.”
As the performers informed us, they weren’t invited to reprise their roles, EW also exclusively reported that beloved bullies Jay (Tobias Jelinek) and Ice (Larry Bagby) would not return for the sequel. Jelinek made a guess as to where Jay would be right now, adding that he hoped to see him working as a local principal.
“He would make up for his earlier days as a bully. It details his development “said Jelinek. “He must confront his problems and discover what it is to be a good person. For him, it would make a lot of sense. He could assist the terrible kids because he would understand them.”
Escobedo, Peak, and Buckingham are new cast members playing the “small children” combating the witches, and Tony Hale, who appeared in Veep, is said to be playing the mayor of Salem. Hannah Waddingham and Sam Richardson have both joined in unspecified capacities, however Richardson makes an appearance in the teaser video and appears to be the proprietor of the “Salem Magic Shoppe”; more on that later.
Hocus Pocus 2: How do the witches come back from the dead?
The punishment for applying reason to a fantasy classic like Hocus Pocus is a curse that is worse than spending all of eternity as a black cat. But here we are, dissecting the movie’s teaser trailer in search of hints as to how the Sanderson three makes a second appearance from the grave.
The only thing we currently know about the witches’ method of returning to the living world is that it includes two teenagers (Escobedo and Peak) casting a spell in the woods on Peak’s 16th birthday, the same night they ignite the Black Flame Candle. The ground beneath them bursts apart to show the flaming pits of hell below as the yellow flame becomes black. However, Winnie thinks it’s “very gorgeous,” so don’t worry.
Hocus Pocus 2: Will there be a musical number similar to “I Put a Spell on You”?
In a sequence that takes place at a Halloween event, Drag Race alumni Kahmora Hall (Sarah), Ginger Minj (Winifred), and Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté (Mary) joined the cast as drag versions of the Sanderson Sisters. This was confirmed by EW.
It’s safe to expect another musical sequence in the style of “I Put a Spell on You” from the previous movie because Winifred says in the teaser that the siblings are “always” prepared to take the stage.
According to Kornbread in an interview with EW, Najimy volunteered to phone Mama Rupaul to suggest the queen for a slot on Drag Race while they were on set. She had no idea that Kornbread had just finished filming her then-unknown part for the show’s 14th season.
Before attempting to connect Ru and Najimy, Kornbread recalled Najimy stating, “One day I hope you’re on Drag Race.” “I personally know RuPaul, and I’m the reason Bob [the Drag Queen] appeared on the program, the woman claimed. I’ll talk to RuPaul about you on the phone “Kornbread kept going. “Kathy, sweetheart, please don’t do that, I say. Thank you, but please refrain from doing it.” Later, a spokesperson for Najimy confirmed to EW that the actor had in fact offered to call RuPaul to suggest Kornbread for an upcoming season.
Hocus Pocus 2: When is the release date?
Even though it seems like a long time, Hocus Pocus 2 will debut on Disney+ at September 30. Until then, try to restrain your thoughts from wandering.
