This Halloween Season, some legends never die. Hocus Pocus 2, an Original movie event, streaming September 30 on Disney Plus. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reunite for the highly anticipated Disney+ Original Movie “Hocus Pocus 2.” The live-action, long awaited sequel to the perennial Halloween classic, which brings back the delightfully wicked Sanderson sisters for more comedic mayhem, will debut on Disney+ on September 30.
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
“Hocus Pocus 2” also stars Doug Jones (“The Shape of Water”), Whitney Peak (“Gossip Girl”), Lilia Buckingham (“Dirt”), Belisa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories”), Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”), Tony Hale (“Veep”), Sam Richardson (“The Tomorrow War,” “Good Boys”), Juju Brener (“Vanquish”), Froy Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen. The film is directed by Anne Fletcher (“Dumplin,’” “The Proposal”), written by Jen D’Angelo (“Happy Together,” “Workaholics”) and produced by Lynn Harris (“King Richard,” “The Shallows”), with Adam Shankman (“Disenchanted,” “Hairspray”), Ralph Winter (“Hocus Pocus,” “X-Men” franchise) and David Kirschner (“Hocus Pocus,” “Chucky”) serving as executive producers.
It’s hard to believe, but 29 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters descended on Salem, Massachusetts on All Hallows Eve to suck the lives out of the children, so they could live forever. Time sure does fly (maybe on a broomstick?) when you are having fun. But now we are so excited to see that the Sanderson sisters are set to return to our screens in Hocus Pocus 2 on September 30! Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker are all coming back as well, reprising their roles as Winifred Sanderson, Mary Sanderson, and Sarah Sanderson, respectively.
So, we know that a lot of the stars of the original film — including Doug Jones, AKA Billy Butcherson — will be returning to the new film. We also know that viewers will learn about the lives of the Sanderson sisters as children, and we know that September 30 will be the premiere date. What we were missing? A trailer. Now that has changed and Disney has released an official trailer for Hocus Pocus 2!
In just a matter of months, the Sanderson Sisters will return in an all-new full-length feature film.
However, it seems that one Hocus Pocus star is under fire for recent comments made on Twitter.
Bette Midler, who plays Winnie (Winifred Sanderson) in the beloved cult-classic, recently shared thoughts on the recent baby formula shortage when MSNBC Anchor Stephanie Ruhle shared some facts about the control of the production by just three American companies.
Of course, the tweet from the Sanderson sister received thousands of replies– mostly in backlash– over the comments from users who called her comments “inappropriate” and “disappointing.”
@ClaraJeffery said:
Extremely, profoundly even, disappointed that you're taking this line. Yes, the monopolies are real and @Nestle in particular has had evil practices. But that doesn't mean that breast-only (or even at all) is doable for many many women: https://t.co/Bzozt62yB6
Surely you don’t think every single woman can produce on demand, right? That is absolutely ridiculous & so insensitive to women who cannot.
Disney previously announced that the beloved Hocus Pocus (1993) would be getting a sequel with Bette Midler (Winnie), Kathy Najimy (Mary), and Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) all returning to reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters, the witches of Salem.
It’s been nearly two years since the original announcement from Disney that the movie would include not just a star-studded cast, but also a top-notch production team with scripts from Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics) and producers Lynn Harris (King Richard), executive producer Adam Shankman (Disney’s Disenchanted), and crew from the first installment, Ralph Winter (Hocus Pocus), and David Kirschner (Hocus Pocus), serving as executive producer.
It’s been almost 30 years since Disney’s first Hocus Pocus film was released. Talk about staying power!
The film all about the Sanderson Sisters was well-received upon its release, but its popularity has only grown over the years, so much so, that Disney has opted for a take-two of the Sanderson Sisters saga, announcing last year that Hocus Pocus 2 will be streamable on the Disney+ platform later this year.
For those Hocus Pocus fans who just can’t get enough of the Sanderson Sisters, Disney has released an updated look at the cast of Hocus Pocus 2, which will include some younger, fresher actors in addition to the actors and actresses that made the film in the first place.
Bette Midler (Winifred ‘Winnie’ Sanderson)
The legendary Bette Midler will reprise her role as Winnie, the eldest Sanderson sister. Midler has a long-standing career as a stage actress and a screen actress. Some of her more notable projects include Beaches, The First Wives Club, 2019’s The Addams Family, and its 2021 sequel. Most recently, she appeared in Hello Dolly! in 2017.
Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah Sanderson)
Sarah Jessica Parker returns as the youngest of the Sanderson Sisters, Sarah. In Hocus Pocus 2, Parker is still just as beautiful, and reportedly, the boys still love her. She is currently starring in HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which is a sequel to the very popular Sex and the City. Since the first Hocus Pocus film, Sarah Jessica Parker has starred in movies like The First Wives Club (with Bette Midler), Mars Attacks!, The Family Stone, and other films.
Kathy Najimy (Mary Sanderson)
Actress Kathy Najimy will also return to reprise her role as Mary Sanderson, the middle Sanderson sister. Outside of her role in Hocus Pocus, Kathy Najimy is well-known for her role as Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act, as well as for lending her voice to Peggy on King of the Hill. Some of her other acting achievements include playing roles in films like Hope Floats, Dumplin’, and Single All the Way. She also held recurring roles in TV series like Veep.
Doug Jones (William ‘Billy’ Butcherson)
Another familiar face will return to reprise his role in Hocus Pocus 2. Doug Jones will play the role of Billy Butcherson, who is Winifred’s ex-boyfriend. Winifred poisoned Billy but then brought him back to life as a zombie in the storyline of Hocus Pocus. Doug Jones is known for many roles, and he has also collaborated with famed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro more than once. Jones plays Saru in Star Trek: Discovery and also plays a recurring part in What We Do in the Shadows.
New roles and new faces for Hocus Pocus 2
Taylor Paige Henderson will star in her first-ever movie role as Young Winifred Sanderson. Juju Brener will play the role of Young Sarah Sanderson. Also joining the franchise as a younger version of one of the Sanderson Sisters is Nina Kitchen, who will play Young Mary Sanderson. This will be Kitchen’s first-ever acting credit.
Whitney Peak will play the role of Becca, one of the three high school students who will play deterrents to the Sanderson Sisters in the upcoming Hocus Pocus 2 film.
Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham will join the cast of Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2, playing a role that has not yet been revealed by the House of Mouse. Waddingham’s acting career is a colorful one. She played a role in the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones, and she is no stranger to the stage, having appeared in both London’s West End and New York’s Broadway. She had roles in Spamalot, The Wizard of Oz, and Kiss Me, Kate. Currently, she plays the role of Rebecca Welton, ex-wife of the former owner of an English soccer team, AFC Richmond, alongside Jason Sudekis in Ted Lasso.
Filming of the newest Hocus Pocus film finished in January of this year. Hocus Pocus 2 is set to debut on Disney+ this fall.
Thackery Binx had to wait 300 years for a virgin to light a candle before he could be with the rest of his family. And it feels like it’s been that long since fans started asking Disney to make a sequel to the film that has become a cult classic — Hocus Pocus. Well, Disney has granted our wish and is now actively producing Hocus Pocus 2, with filming happening in Rhode Island.
Fans have been watching closely for any and all updates on what the new sequel will be about and who will star in it. We know that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will all be reprising their roles as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, and Doug Jones — who played Billy Butcherson — will also be returning.
Disney has also released a synopsis for the film, which was shared via MovieWeb:
“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.”
While the synopsis doesn’t give us much, it’s something, and now we may have something more. Video shared on TikTok shows the set of Salem Village that has been recreated and some very recognizable red hair can be seen but on a child. The new video seems to indicate that Hocus Pocus 2will show the Sanderson sisters as children, which could show us their family and how they became the soul-sucking sisters we met in the original film.
It is also being reported that the stage representing the town of Salem is preparing for huge pyrotechnics to take place. According to The Providence Journal:
The state Department of Environmental Management sent air quality specialist Taylor Ryan to inspect the site Tuesday as part of the agency’s review of an open burning permit the production had applied for to burn down the village, according to DEM spokesman Michael J. Healey.
(The village includes nine wood-frame buildings, though most of them are missing one or more sides, only the sides that will show in the movie were fully constructed.)
When Ryan arrived on site, she learned, “They are not actually lighting the structure on fire. They are using ‘fire beams’ fueled by natural gas so it looks like the building is on fire from the camera, but nothing will be burnt down,” she wrote in an email, adding that flame-retardant material will be between the beams and the structures.
Between the footage of Winifred as a young girl and the fact that they are going to burn down Salem, it will be interesting to see what direction the new sequel film goes in. Since we saw the town of Salem in the original film, we know that if the village was burnt down, it was rebuilt and the Sanderson’s either didn’t have anything to do with it, or they did not feel a need to leave the village.
It is unknown when filming will be complete, but Hocus Pocus 2 is scheduled to be released on Disney+ in the fall of 2022.
