13 things to know about 'Hocus Pocus 2,' from the plot to who is returning to the cast (2024)

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Disney confirmed that the "Hocus Pocus" sequel was in the works in December 2020.

"Coming exclusively to @DisneyPlus is Hocus Pocus 2, the spooky sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic," Disney tweeted on December 10.

The original movie, which was released in 1993, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, and follows the three Sanderson witches. On Halloween night, the three sisters are brought back to life by a local teenager who has just moved to town.

The witches attempt to become immortal by using magic on the town's children and local townspeople, but they are thwarted by the teen, his younger sister, his classmate-turned-love-interest, and a talking cat who fell victim to the Sanderson's evil magic hundreds of years ago.

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All three of the original actresses who played the Sanderson sisters will reprise their roles.

After Disney officially announced the sequel would be coming, Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed on Instagram that she and fellow stars Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy would be reprising their roles as the Sanderson sisters.

In the original movie, Parker played the childlike and ditzy sister Sarah Sanderson, Midler played the leader of the coven Winifred Sanderson, and Najimy played Winifred's right-hand witch Mary Sanderson.

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Doug Jones will also reprise his role as Billy Butcherson.

"The opening sequence of the movie, we get some history of our witches and Billy," Midler told Entertainment Weekly, explaining that the film will open with a scene of 1600s New England. "We get a little kiss — pardon the pun — of the Billy aspect of it, and the world that they lived in and what happened to the witches."

For those who might not remember, Billy Butcherson was Winnifred Sanderson's ex-boyfriend who she poisoned after catching him cheating on her with her youngest sister, Sarah. He was later brought back to life as a zombie to help the sisters retrieve their stolen spell book.

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It is unknown if any of the original movie's younger stars will return.

Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison, told Entertainment Tonightin October 2021 that she hasn't been asked to be involved in the "Hocus Pocus" sequel.

"I haven't heard anything," she said. "I know, it's so disappointing. I would love to do the sequel. It would be so much fun. I think there's just a different storyline with younger people, but why can't we all come back in some way?"

Omri Katz, who played protagonist Max Dennison, has left acting in the years since the original movie and is now a hair stylist, so it's also unlikely that he'll return.

In May, Thora Birch, who played Max's younger sister Dani, tweeted a gif of Winnie Sanderson with the message, "2022 will be 'Mah-velous!" Some saw this as a hint that she will be returning, although this has not been confirmed by Disney.

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It was Bette Midler who spearheaded the sequel.

"Even when it became a phenomenon, [a sequel] wasn't considered. Ten years on, when I started seeing the returns, I was surprised, and I started making calls," Midler told Entertainment Weekly.

After Midler tried to track down her original costume, and discovered scores of replicas and other merchandise online, she decided that it was definitely time to return to Salem.

"As I watched it progress, I'd call the studio once a year to ask, 'How about it?' It wasn't until about three years ago that they advocated for it, and movement started," she continued. "It picked up when they decided that they wanted it to be on a streamer. They never looked back until they got their movie."

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This time, three young women bring the Sanderson sisters back to life.

The film's synopsis on IMDb reads: "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."

"There are three young girls who are relatively new to the world. They're not witches, but they have the potential to become witches, to follow in our footsteps. Pitting the young against the veterans, it's a conflict that audiences like to see," Midler told Entertainment Weekly. "Who's going to win? Or, is anybody going to win? It's well thought-out and constructed, and it'll be satisfying because it's conflict, but conflict in a great special effects way, and a great magical way."

The movie's stars were immediately on board with the new plot, Midler said.

"They presented us with an outline, and after we picked ourselves up off the floor, because it's been 27 years, we looked at it and I think all of us agreed that it was pretty great," she told People in October 2020.

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We'll also get even more insight into the Sanderson sisters' origin story and how they became witches.

"You get to see the young version of them and have a great time and understand the what and why of what happened to them," Midler told Entertainment Weekly

In the sequel's official trailer, you can see young Winifred, Sarah, and Mary being greeted by a witch after they are exiled from Salem. Winifred is given the book of spells and we learn that it is her 16th birthday, when witches gain their magic.

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New cast members include Sam Richardson from "Veep."

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report in October 2021 that Richardson was in final negotiations to appear in the film. Richardson is known for his role as Richard Splett in "Veep," and he most recently appeared in Amazon's "The Tomorrow War" and "Ted Lasso," as well as Netflix's "Senior Year."

He plays magic shop owner Gilbert and can be seen in the trailer telling Whitney Peak's character that young witches often get their powers on their 16th birthday.

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Whitney Peak, who stars in the "Gossip Girl" reboot, will be a main character.

Peak plays Becca, a young girl who unwittingly helps to resurrect the Sanderson sisters on her birthday, which also happens to be Halloween.

Drag queens Ginger Minj, Kornbread "The Snack" Jetée, and Kahmora Hall will also appear in the movie as dragged-up versions of the Sanderson sisters.

The sequel's IMDB cast page lists Ginger Minj as Drag Winnie and Kornbread Jetée as Drag Mary. Kahmora Hall, who was announced as a cast member by Variety, will assumably be playing Drag Sarah.

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"Hocus Pocus 2" was previously set to be directed by Adam Shankman but is now in the hands of "27 Dresses" director Anne Fletcher.

Shankman is best known for directing the 2007 movie adaptation of "Hairspray," "A Walk to Remember," and the upcoming sequel to "Enchanted," titled "Disenchanted."

In May 2020, Shankman announced he would no longer be a part of the project, citing scheduling conflicts.

"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 [Fletcher], who has brought so much laughter and joy into people's lives with her previous work," Shankman said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Fletcher told Digital Spyshe was "so grateful" to be part of the movie.

"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," she said in the statement.

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The movie was filmed at a school in Rhode Island.

While the original movie was set in Salem, Massachusetts, crews were seen at La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island, in mid-October, according to WPRI. The private Catholic academy opened in 1871.

"We can't get into too much detail with them, but we are so excited that we were chosen to be part of this opportunity that is very unique across Rhode Island with the cultural and economic benefits, with the city of Providence and the entire state," De La Salle Middle School Principal Alana Parenteau told the news channel.

Sarah Jessica Parker also told Entertainment Weekly that a large musical number was filmed in Newport, Rhode Island.

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The sequel will be released on Disney+ on September 30, 2022.

The sequel's newest trailer officially announced that the "special movie event" will be available to stream on September 30, 2022.

"Sistaaaahs! It's been 300 years... But we're BACK! #HocusPocus2 arrives Fall 2022 on @DisneyPlus," Bette Midler tweeted in May 2021.

Parker shared a teaser photo for the sequel on Instagramin May, writing: "Yep. I'm ready. To run. Amok, amok, amok, amok. [candle emoji] #HocusPocus2 arrives Fall 2022 on @disneyplus Sisters??? X, SJ."

Najimy also shared the teaser, adding: "The people have spoken: I smell children...again."