'Hocus Pocus 2' Fans, Disney Just Released a First Look at the Movie Before Its Premiere
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Start making those salt circles, folks: Much to Thackery Binx's dismay, the Sanderson Sisters will soon return to Salem — and this time, we won't have to wait for a virgin to light the Blake Flame Candle.
Last year, we learned the glorious news that Hocus Pocus 2 will be flying to Disney+ just in time for All Hallow’s Eve in 2022. Given that the original 1993 cult classic film is widely considered one of the best Halloween movies of all time, choosing to make a sequel was undoubtedly an easy call for Disney to make. The big question is though, what will happen this time around when Winifred Sanderson puts a spell on everyone? We might not know just yet, but we do have answers to some of your other burning questions about Hocus Pocus 2 ...
When is the Hocus Pocus 2 release date on Disney+?
In May, Disney announced that Hocus Pocus 2 will premiere on Disney+ on September 30. The news was revealed during the Disney Upfronts, which also featured some rough cuts of the movie before it lands on the streamer in the fall. According to Entertainment Weekly, fans got to hear Bette Midler cackle, "Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we're back!"
If that's not a way to get fans excited, then we can't tell you what is.
Is there a Hocus Pocus 2 trailer out?
While Disney+ already gave fans a massive surprise with a teaser earlier this summer, the official trailer was revealed during the D23 Expo in September.
In the two-minute clip, viewers got a taste of what's happening in 21st century Salem, including a 16th birthday seance which accidentally brings back the Sanderson sisters. "Yes, Salem — we're back!" Winifred says in the snippet.
Plus, the trio of witches discover elements of the 21st century (like flying on Roombas and testing out sheet masks in a drugstore), all while trying to "run amok" on their beloved Massachusetts town.
That's not all. Around the same time, Disney shared an official first look at the film. In the video, the Sanderson sisters attempt to figure out new ways to quickly fly in 2022. Their solution? They grab the nearest broom, Roomba and Swiffer to assist them in soaring through the skies.
"We're wasting time — we must fly. What's ... Just like my old one!" Winifred exclaims as she finds a replica of her witchy accessory in the Halloween section. Ironic, but also a perfect foil to the moment.
To top it all off, the streamer gave fans sneak peek photos of the movie, along with teaser posters. Can you tell we're pretty pumped about this?
What will Hocus Pocus 2 be about?
A Disney press release revealed some spooktacular details about the sequel. As it reads:
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.
We seriously can't wait!
Who is in the Hocus Pocus 2 cast?
Disney shared that the following actors have been confirmed for the Hocus Pocus 2 cast:
Whitney Peak will play Becca, a high school student entangled in the world of the Sanderson sisters
Lilia Buckingham will play Cassie, one of Becca's friends trying to stop the Sanderson sisters from causing chaos
Belissa Escobedo will play Izzy, another one of Becca's friends who's involved with attempting to stop the Sanderson sisters from taking over Salem
Doug Jones will return from the 1993 film as Billy Butcherson, an ex-boyfriend who Winifred poisoned back in 1693. He is now living life as a ... zombie?
Tony Hale will play Jefry Traske, the mayor of 21st century Salem
Sam Richardson will play Gilbert, the owner of a store called the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe
Hannah Waddingham will play an an ominous new character called the Witch
Juju Brene will play a young Sarah Sanderson
Taylor Henderson will play a young Winifred Sanderson
Nina Kitchen will play a young Mary Sanderson
Froy Gutierrez will play Mike, Cassie's boyfriend who also bullies Becca
Doug Jones will reprise his role as Billy Butcherson, the zombie who has a past with the Sanderson sisters
Now that we have a little more information about each cast member's role, we can't wait to see them onscreen. Most notably, Becca, Cassie and Izzy are described as "women in the present day who incite the wrath of the Sanderson Sisters." We have chills already!
In addition, Sam Richardson gave a little insight to his role, which until this point has been widely hush-hush. "I can say that I did get to shoot a lot of scenes with the ladies," he told The New Yorker in May. "As a fan of all three of them, who grew up watching that movie, it was a really surreal and really fun and exciting process to get to watch them be those characters up close, and then also get to interact with them was really fun and really cool."
The most amazing news of all? Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy have all signed deals to reappear as the Sanderson Sisters in the sequel. How they'll be able to come back and reign terror in Salem once again after turning into dust is still a big mystery — but either way, we are pumped to see them once again.
Will any original characters be in Hocus Pocus 2?
In an August interview with Entertainment Tonight, director Anne Fletcher disclosed that Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw (who played Max Dennison and Allison, respectively) will not make an appearance in the sequel.
"It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly," she told the outlet. "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."
Despite the duo not joining Hocus Pocus 2, Omri did speak out about his thoughts on not coming back to portray his character. "People have been asking, and unfortunately, I'm not in it. I would have loved to be involved," he told Entertainment Weekly. "I feel bad for the original fan base saying we aren't because I'm sure they wanted to see us reprise our roles."
In addition to Omri and Vinessa being absent from the sequel, a few more actors from the original film will not be featured: Thora Birch (Dani), Larry Bagby (Ernie), Tobias Jelinek (Jay) and Jason Marsden (voice of Thackery Binx). But fans will be thrilled to see this face pop up once more. Doug Jones, who played Billy Butcherson in the 1993 classic, will be reprising his role once more. Fans may remember him as the boyfriend whose mouth Winifred sewed shut after he fell in love with Sarah. But according to the actor, there's a lot more for him to say this time around.
"Billy came back to me immediately," he told Entertainment Weekly about his return to Salem. "It was frightening how he's been alive while I've been playing other characters all these years, but, Billy's like, 'I wanted my chance again.'"
How can I watch or stream Hocus Pocus 2?
When the film is released, Hocus Pocus 2 will only be available to stream on Disney+. The streaming service is available on its own or part of the Disney Bundle which gives customers access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. The cost to sign up for Disney+ is $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. The Disney Bundle is available to purchase on Hulu (with ads) for $13.99 per month or on Hulu (no ads) for $19.99 per month. You can check out a full list of Disney+ supported devices.
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