OG Hocus Pocus actors aren't in Hocus Pocus 2 — but here's how Max, Allison, and Dani are!

Joey Nolfi
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hocus Pocus 2.

The original shish kababies of Hocus Pocus are back for the sequel, after all — even if the actors behind them don't appear on screen.

EW previously broke the news that OG Hocus Pocus stars Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch would not reprise their roles alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones in Hocus Pocus 2, though the sequel seamlessly resurrects their characters — Max, Allison, and Dani — for a brief, key scene.

Director Anne Fletcher and writer Jen D'Angelo's story follows a threesome of Salem teens, Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), as they unknowingly (more on that later) light the Black Flame Candle on Becca's birthday — which also happens to be Halloween.

As confirmed by Olde Salem Magic Shoppe owner, Gilbert (Sam Richardson), witches typically harness their magical powers when they turn 16, and it's later revealed that the seemingly innocent gift he gave to Becca to celebrate the occasion was — unbeknownst to the girls — a new Black Flame Candle.

HOCUS POCUS
HOCUS POCUS

Everett Collection Vinessa Shaw, Thora Birch, and Omri Katz in 'Hocus Pocus'

Gilbert aimed to to revive the Sanderson Sisters all along, and when the witches come knocking on the door of their old abode (Gilbert's tourist trap operates out of the older Sanderson cottage), he spills the truth.

"I've been trying to bring you back ever since I saw you that night: Halloween, 1993," he says, adding that the evening was "not a great year" for him after "a bunch of boys" stole all of his candy (a sweet nod to bullies Jay and Ice). "But then," he continues, "I saw you. I chased you all the way to the cemetery. But, I was too late."

The film cuts to a recreation of Hocus Pocus' final moments, which see Max, Allison, and Dani defeating the witches with the help of the zombified Billy Butcherson (Jones), only this time, we see the action unfold from afar, with only the silhouettes of Billy and the children visible from behind as a younger version of Gilbert watches from afar.

"I found Book, he was awake," present day Gilbert finishes, noting that he approached the scene in the wake of the witches' original demise, and claimed the iconic, one-eyed spellbook as his own. "He showed me how to make another candle!"

Hocus Pocus 2
Hocus Pocus 2

Matt Kennedy/Disney + Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker give their first interviews for 'Hocus Pocus 2' — and reignite the magic between them like the Black Flame Candle.

Though Shaw, Katz, and Birch don't physically appear in the movie, it's clear their legacy was essential to the story. Fletcher previously told EW, though, why it was important to push the story in new directions for the long-awaited sequel.

"We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, how do we make this work?" Fletcher said. "It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You're trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo. People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry."

Hocus Pocus 2 is now streaming on Disney+.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content: