8 Fun Hocus Pocus 2 Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed
Matt Kennedy/Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Hocus Pocus 2 is packing in some major nostalgia.
Set 29 years after the events of the 1993 film, the sequel follows the famous Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) as they are resurrected by the Black Flame Candle yet again.
While there are several twists and turns throughout, one thing you can count on is fun nods to the first film, which has become a Halloween classic over the years.
In addition to bringing back some notable characters, including Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones), the film features a handful of clever Easter eggs.
"I didn't realize its place in people's lives for many years," Parker told PEOPLE about the original film's legacy at the premiere. "Until it became abundantly clear that people had this relationship with it that wasn't a passing fancy, it was a standing date every year. Then it was their kids. Then it was the gay community, and it just kept growing."
Keep reading for how the sequel pays tribute to the original movie. (Warning: spoilers ahead for Hocus Pocus 2.)
A clever little witch with salt
Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
In the first film, Winifred refers to Allison as a "clever little witch" when she uses salt to protect herself against the Sanderson sisters' dark magic. In a similar fashion, Becca (Whitney Peak), who is later revealed to be a witch herself in the sequel, uses salt to deflect the Sanderson sisters' magic as well as keep them entrapped. It's a fun little nod to the original film's heroine and adds even more fuel to the theory that Allison was actually a witch in the first film.
Black cat
Much of the film takes place at the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe, which is owned by a man named Gilbert (Sam Richardson). While Gilbert has his own connection to the original film, he is also shown to have a black cat named Cobweb.
Though director Anne Fletcher confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the black cat is not Thackery Binx (who found peace at the end of the first film), he certainly acts as a guide for Becca and her friends as they try to defeat the Sanderson sisters.
The Black Flame Candle
Matt Kennedy/Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. Belissa Escobedo and Whitney Peak in Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
The Black Flame Candle makes a grand return in the sequel, although it looks quite different. After being lit by Max in the first film, its remains are combined with a new candle, which Becca ends up lighting on her 16th birthday.
Mary's vacuum
As the Sanderson sisters take flight in the first film, they use a handful of cleaning tools from their old home as their modes of transportation, including a vacuum for Mary. The sequel makes a fun and modern reference to that particular scene as Mary uses two Roombas to fly.
A fun musical number
Disney Plus Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in Hocus Pocus 2
Don't worry, the sequel includes another iconic musical number! While nothing will ever top "I Put A Spell On You," the Sanderson sisters' rendition of "One Way or Another" is an exciting follow-up. The performance even includes a full dance mob as entranced townspeople do the witches' bidding. In fact, the sisters have three performances throughout the movie.
Halloween costumes
In the aforementioned dance mob, there are a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it costumes that pay tribute to the original. While one dancer dons a Madonna costume similar to the one Max and Dani's mom wore in the first film, another couple is shown in a devil costume and PJs, similar to the look Garry and Penny Marshall's characters wore in the original.
Hocus Pocus movie
Everett Omri Katz (L) and Thora Birch in Hocus Pocus (1993)
During the dance number, there is also a shot of a couple watching the actual Hocus Pocus film on TV. Not entirely sure how that works in the grand scheme of the Hocus Pocus universe, but it's certainly a cute Easter egg!
The Sanderson sisters' walk
At the end of the film, Becca and her friends are shown doing the Sanderson sisters' iconic walk as they head down the street together.
Hocus Pocus 2 is currently streaming on Disney+
