The news of Hocus Pocus 2 has gone from us smelling children.... to knowing when it's all going down. We're all thrilled at the prospect of the return of the Sanderson sisters, following the rumors of a Hocus Pocus sequel back in 2019.
Hocus Pocus was initially set for a reboot rather than a direct sequel, and Bette Midler seemed as enthusiastic about that idea as fans of the original film were. In 2017, the actress unabashedly told PEOPLE "Iknow it’s cheap. It’s going to be cheap!" adding that there was no way she'd be on board for an appearance, no matter how much money was offered. Happily, the prospect of a reboot has been quashed, and we're getting a proper sequel instead.
Hocus Pocus may have been a flop at the box office, but there's a reason its popularity has endured over the decades. Some of the cast reunited last year for Bette Midler's annual Hulaween fundraising event, in a COVID-safe mockumentary called In Search of the Sanderson Sisters. It features stars like Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billy Crystal, John Stamos, Glenn Close, Bella Hadid, and more to boot.
Hocus Pocus got a theatrical re-release last October, earning $3M in 10 days. That made the film one of the biggest re-releases of 2020, affirming its cult classic status. Now that Disney has confirmed the sequel with Midler, Najimy, and Parker on board, fans will be eager for updates. You can keep up with everything we know about Hocus Pocus 2 so far below.
Latest Hocus Pocus 2 news (updated September 10)
- Hocus Pocus 2 is coming on September 30.
- The first Hocus Pocus 2 trailer is below.
- Is Thora Birch coming back for Hocus Pocus 2, or just trolling?
Hocus Pocus 2 plot
According to the press release "three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world."
But, aside from that plot point, details are scarce. The Illuminerdi, which doesn't have a great track record, is claiming that sources have revealed a plot about a loner named Becca, an aspiring witch, who summons the Sanderson Sisters with classmate Izzy. What about the third girl? Well, the report also mentions a popular girl named Cassie who gets tied up in all of this, but isn't a part of the summoning?
The 1993 movie saw the sisters resurrected thanks to a spell that Midler's character cast before the witches were hung in 1693 for kidnapping kids and draining them of their life force, which had the unfortunate side effect of killing them.
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Hocus Pocus 2 release date confirmed
Hocus Pocus 2 is scheduled for September 30, 2022, and it's coming to Disney Plus.
The original film actually released in July, 1993, but Bette Midler's Instagram post confirming the news that she'd be joining the cast mentions a "Fall 2022" release on Disney Plus.
Hocus Pocus 2 trailer
At D23 2022, we got the first trailer for Hocus Pocus 2. Not only does it deliver the returning Sanderson sisters, but the supporting cast looks great as well. Especially Sam Richardson as Gilbert, the shopkeep who helps unlock the return of the sisters. Hannah Waddingham can be seen early on as The Witch, who got the sisters into the witching business in the first place.
Hocus Pocus 2 cast and crew
Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker are confirmed to return as Winifred 'Winnie' Sanderson, Mary Sanderson, and Sara Sanderson. Midler shared the news on her Instagram account, with Najimy following suit with a post paying homage to her character's famous "I smell children" line. Parker also got in on the fun with an Instagram post of her own that harks back to her "amok! amok! amok!" line from the first movie.
On Nov. 1, Disney confirmed via press release that Doug Jones is back (likely reprising his role as reprise his role as Winnie's ex-lover and zombie William 'Billy' Butcherson), and that Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Sam Richardson (Veep, Detroiters), Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) and Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf) are joining the cast.
Thora Birch tweeted a GIF from the original film, with the caption "2022 will be 'Mah-velous!'" which makes us wonder if she'll be in the film as well.
Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Step Up) was pegged to direct, but due to conflicting schedules with his directing duties on Disenchanted, he'll be stepping into the role of executive producer instead. Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses, The Proposal) will be picking up the directorial mantle instead. Shankman will be joined by fellow executive producers Ralph Winter (Adrift) and David Kirschner (Curse of Chucky), and Steven Haft (Tigerland) as co-producer.
"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 says.
"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.’”
Anne Fletcher adds: "Now more than ever, people need to laugh. We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film.
"I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special. This is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers, and I can’t wait to get started."
- More: The best streaming devices for your next movie night
Shabana Arif
Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). As well as contributing to Tom's Guide, she's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.
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Why is Hocus Pocus 2 inappropriate? ›
Parents need to know that Hocus Pocus 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Disney's hugely popular 1990s fantasy comedy Hocus Pocus. Like the original, the witchy sequel is family-friendly overall but does have magical violence, name-calling, and gross-out scenes, mostly involving a decapitated zombie.
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While the Sanderson Sisters are at the heart of Hocus Pocus, the first movie also relied on central characters Max, Dani, and Allison. Unfortunately, the trio did not return in Hocus Pocus 2 after the sequel went in a different direction.
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This film suffers from a lazy script due to several rehashed lines or sequences from the original film. I get that the writers were aiming for the nostalgia of the original film, but it was completely overdone.
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Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in the works, with the Sanderson Sisters potentially returning for a new adventure. The new movie is being created with "full idealism," according to screenwriter Jen D'Angelo. "We're still in the story phase; we're still working on it," she told EW in October 2023.
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It views more like a PG-13. While the Halloween violence is minimal, there are numerous sexual innuendos in this movie that are shocking for a movie that seems to be aimed for kids. Examples include the 16 year old brother snuggling a pillow and pretending it's his crush and numerous references to him being a "virgin".
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“The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.” The mom added that while "everybody thinks it's fake and innocent," the characters in the film "could be casting any type of spell that they want to." "Anything could be coming through that TV screen into your home," she added.
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Allison Watts is one of the tritagonists of the 1993 Halloween comedy-fantasy film, Hocus Pocus. She is the crush and later girlfriend of Max Dennison.
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The original movie actor explained why he and several other stars did not return for Hocus Pocus 2, citing the sequel's need to simply move onto a new story involving the Sanderson Sisters. In Murray's case, Thackery Binx also died at the end of the first movie.
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Max, Dani, and Allison, however, don't have any impact on Hocus Pocus 2. None of the three original characters return for cameos, with director Anne Fletcher citing their absence as due to difficulties in organically integrating them into the story.
Why is Mary smiling backwards in Hocus Pocus 2? ›Najimy said there's a simple explanation for the change. “It's on the other side mainly because it's so hard for me to do it on the side I did it on 30 years ago,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly.
Why is the ending of Hocus Pocus 2 so sad? ›
The somber moment is the film's greatest lesson. Winifred asks Becca and her "coven" to do a spell to reunite her with Mary and Sarah. Becca, Izzy and Cassie succeed but sadly, it just means Winifred dies to join her sisters. Winifred lets out one last, "Sisters!" before vanquishing.
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DiCaprio has said he was offered a large sum to be in Hocus Pocus. Nevertheless, he went with his gut and decided to decline the offer, as he was determined to get Arnie Grape's part (in What's Eating Gilbert Grape).
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It turns out Isabella is the descendant of Elizabeth, the daughter of a fourth, secret Sanderson sister, and she discovers later in the book that she also has magical abilities, similar to Becca in "Hocus Pocus 2."
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That can only mean one thing: Hocus Pocus season is upon us! This year is a big milestone as the original 1993 movie turns 30 years old. The potion for the perfect Halloween movie is equal parts 90s nostalgia and lovable kooky characters with just a dash of outlandish premise.
Are the Sanderson sisters real? ›CNN reported that the Sanderson sisters are fictional characters. There were not three sisters named Winifred, Sarah and Mary who were executed for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
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“The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.” “Do not watch this film,” she continued. “Everybody thinks it's fake and innocent, but they could be casting any type of spell that they want to, anything could be coming through that TV screen into your home.”
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Hocus Pocus is a Halloween fantasy adventure that's best suited to pre-teen audiences. It has some violence as well as a constant threat to children's lives, so it isn't a movie for younger viewers.
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In “Hocus Pocus 2,” the three teens called upon to save Salem from the Sanderson sisters' return are themselves budding witches, which means the movie isn't about scaring kids away from magic so much as indulging their post-Potter junior wizarding fantasies.
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The Sanderson Sisters are the main antagonists of the 1993 live-action film Hocus Pocus and its 2022 sequel Hocus Pocus 2. They're a trio of witch sisters who were the most powerful coven that ever lived, thanks to Winifred's book of spells.
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