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Director Kenny Ortega’s 1993 film Hocus Pocus wasn’t a hit when it was first released, but history has been kind to it, and turned it into a Halloween tradition of sorts for children of a particular generation (and their children, in many cases). And because this is a time when everything old is eventually new again — particularly if it’s gained the sort of post-release popularity Hocus Pocus has enjoyed — Disney has decided to bring the sorcerous Sanderson sisters back for another adventure in Hocus Pocus 2.
Hocus Pocus 2 conjures up original cast members Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively, the trio of witches who were accidentally resurrected in the 1993 film and terrorized the town of Salem before being defeated by a group of precocious teenagers and a magical black cat. This time around, the film features Step Up and 27 Dresses director Anne Fletcher behind the camera, and follows another group of Salem teenagers who unwittingly unleash the Sanderson sisters on the town again, 29 years after the events of the original film.
Credit: Matt Kennedy / Disney Enterprises Inc.SALEM, Mass. — ‘Tis time!
After 29 years of waiting for a sequel, "Hocus Pocus 2" has finally been unleashed for the 2022 Halloween season.
The Sanderson sisters are back with a vengeance in the new movie, which is now streaming only on Disney+, as Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy all reprise their roles as the wickedly wonderful witches in Salem.
"Hocus Pocus 2" officially dropped early Friday morning.
“Lock up your children! Yes, Salem! We’re back!”
That’s the warning Midler’s Winifred Sanderson shrieks into the lightning-filled sky as a highlight moment from the full trailer, which you can watch below:
Hocus Pocus 2 also does a fine job of avoiding the pitfalls some sequels encounter when attempting to add a new chapter to a film released several decades earlier. Rather than trying to recreate the original film in the current time or changing the characters to make them a better fit for a modern story, Hocus Pocus 2 leans into the time-displaced nature of the Sanderson sisters’ return and how things have changed since their last adventure in the modern world. From the popularity of robot vacuums (as opposed to brooms) to the conveniences we take for granted now that would seem like entirely new magic to the Sandersons, Hocus Pocus 2 and its screenwriter, Jen D’Angelo, find some clever ways to make the elapsed time between the two films part of the story.
And again, like the original film that featured some capable performances from its younger cast members — which included Emmy and BAFTA nominee Thora Birch, among others — Hocus Pocus 2 also casts some capable young actors as its teenage heroes.
Gossip Girl actress Whitney Peak portrays Becca, who accidentally resurrects the Sanderson sisters in the film, and carries her role in the family-friendly adventure well, with just the sort of earnestness that Disney films of this sort demand. She’s joined by Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo as Becca’s best friends, Cassie and Izzy, respectively, along with Froy Gutierrez as Cassie’s dim-witted boyfriend. All four actors are fun to watch, and keep the story rolling along — and funny — when the Sanderson sisters are off-screen.
The film also brings in — and brings back — some familiar faces in entertaining roles, with legendary actor Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water) reprising the role of undead Billy Butcherson, and phenomenal Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham portraying a key figure in the Sanderson sisters’ early years. Along with Tony Hale (Arrested Development) as the mayor of Salem, all three actors add even more entertainment value to a fun film.
