‘Hocus Pocus 2’: Everything We Know About the Disney+ Sequel – PopCulture.com

The Sanderson sisters are almost back! Nearly 30 years after the trio of witches wreaked havoc on the sleepy town of Salem in an attempt to become immortal, Disney+ is taking viewers back to Salem this fall for the highly-anticipated Hocus Pocus sequel, Hocus Pocus 2.

Although rumors of a potential sequel swirled for years, Disney did not light the Black Fame candle on the movie until December 2020, when the company announced during the Disney's Investor Day event that Hocus Pocus 2 was in the works. The movie acts as a sequel to the original 1993 film, which told the tale of three witches who return to Salem after having been burned at the stake 300 years earlier. While the film wasn't a critical or commercial success, it quickly became a cult classic and has been a staple of Halloween movie watches over the past several decades.

Now, 29 years later after Hocus Pocus first had its theatrical debut, the Sanderson sisters are returning. With the countdown officially on here's everything to know about the upcoming Hocus Pocus sequel, from the premiere date to the trailer and even the original cast members set to return. You can subscribe to Disney+ by clicking here.

After Dani, Max, Allison, and Binx defeated the Sanderson sisters in 1993, trio of new characters will find themselves going up against the sinister witches in Hocus Pocus 2. Per Disney+'s official synopsis, "it's been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practicing witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow's Eve."

Ahead of the Sept. 30 premiere, Disney on June 28 released the first full-length trailer for Hocus Pocus 2. The trailer opened with a trio of girls Becca, Cassie, and Izzy preparing to celebrate one of their birthdays with the typical "birthday ritual" of a scary movie marathon, though the celebrations came with an ominous warning from a shopkeeper, who tells them, "legend has it it's on the 16th birthday that a witch gets her powers." Later that night, as two of the girls read a spell, the ground splits and the Black Flame Candle is lit, with Winifred announcing, "Lock up your children. Yes, Salem, we're back!"

Any Hocus Pocus sequel wouldn't be complete without at least a few of the original cast members, and fans of the 1993 film will be happy to know that a number of the original actors are tapped to reprise their roles in Hocus Pocus 2. Early on it was confirmed that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy would be reprising their roles as Winifred Sanderson, Sara Sanderson, and Mary Sanderson 29 years after their first picked up their broomsticks. Disney has since released a number of images and clips teasing the trip back in action.

The Sanderson sisters are not the only ones returning, though. Doug Jones is confirmed to be reprising his role as Billy Butcherson, Winifred's zombified ex-lover who notably chose to side with the kids in Hocus Pocus and help put an end to the Sanderson sisters.

Unfortunately, not every original cast member will back. The four characters at the heart of the 1993 film Dani and Max Dennison, Allison Watts, and Thackeray Binx are not attached to the movie. Actress Thora Birch, who starred as Dani, was original slated to reprise her role, though scheduling conflicts ultimately prevented that. Sources later confirmed that Jason Marsden, who starred as black cat Binx, also would not be returning. Although there has been no official word regarding Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw reprising their roles as Max and Allison, neither are listed among the cast of the film.

When the Sanderson sisters return to Salem, they will be seeing a ton of fresh faces. The full cast of Hocus Pocus features a ton of actors new to the beloved franchise. Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, and Belissa Escobedo star as Becca, Cassie, and Izzy, with recent Emmy-winner Hannah Waddingham, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Paige Henderson, and Nina Kitchen also attached. It has also been confirmed that RuPaul's Drag Race stars Ginger Minj, Kornbread "The Snack" Jet, and Kahmora Hall will portray drag versions of Winifred, Mary, and Sarah.

Also not returning is Adam Shankman. Shankman directed the original film, and while he is attached to Hocus Pocus 2 as a producer, who is not set to direct, a role that has instead been handed to Anne Fletcher, who is most well-known for directing romantic comedies such as The Proposal and 27 Dresses.

"As heartbroken as I am that I won't be able to direct my friends Bette, Sarah Jessica and Kathy in what is sure to be nothing short of a major event for Disney+ due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn't be more pleased to be handing over the reins to Anne, who has brought so much laughter and joy into people's lives with her previous work," Shankman said in a press release. "I am still grateful and proud to help shepherd this ingenious project as executive producer alongside producer Lynn Harris, whom I have loved and admired as a colleague and friend since she helped get me the job choreographing Boogie Nights."

Perhaps one of the most well-known scene from the original 1993 cult classic Hocus Pocus movie was the musical number that took place. As the Sanderson sisters worked to hunt down and capture Dani, Max, and Allison, they interrupted a Halloween party that the parents of Salem were attending, putting them all under a spell as Winifred took the stage to sing "I Put a Spell on You."

Teasing the sequel during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live! in February, Parker confirmed, "Yes, there will be a number!" But it seems that fans may be treated to more than just one musical moment, with Parker adding, "Of course there will be a number a number or two."

While Hocus Pocus 2 will take place in Salem, Massachusetts where the Sanderson lived centuries ago and where they were defeated in 1993, the movie wasn't actually filmed in the city renowned for all things Halloween. Hocus Pocus 2 actually filmed in Rhode Island. The original 1993 movie was filmed in Massachusetts and Hollywood.

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'Hocus Pocus 2': Everything We Know About the Disney+ Sequel - PopCulture.com