Following the events of the first film, the witches' home has now been turned into a magic shop in the sequel, which is run by a man named Gilbert, who refers to himself as Gilbert the Great. Through the years, Peak's character Becca and her friends have become regulars at the shop, as they are very into witchcraft.
Hocus Pocus 2 plays to its followers with some references to the 1993 original, but you certainly don't have to have seen that film to enjoy this one, and the addition of modern-day teenagers could help draw in new followers.
The Sanderson Sisters — Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) — have been gone ever since Max, Allison, Emily, and Thackery Binx defeated them in 1993's Hocus Pocus, and now, the witches are back.
Are the kids from the first Hocus Pocus in the second one?
Last year, Disney+ brought back the infamous Sanderson sisters to great success with “Hocus Pocus 2,” but the kids who defeated them in the original 1993 cult classic didn't return with them.
HOCUS POCUS Movie Recap | Must Watch Before Hocus Pocus 2 | 1993 Film Explained
Why aren't the original kids in Hocus Pocus 2?
'Hocus Pocus' stars open up about why they aren't in sequel: 'It just didn't work' The Sanderson sisters were brought back to life in “Hocus Pocus 2,” but the children's franchise couldn't strike the right alchemy for some of its original cast members.
Are the Sanderson sisters the same in Hocus Pocus 1 and 2?
At first glance, it may appear as if the witches look exactly the same as they did when Hocus Pocus was released in 1993. For the sequel, however, the filmmakers wanted their costumes to look similar to the originals, but not be actual replicas. “We wanted to refresh their looks,” says costume designer Salvador Perez.
The original movie actor explained why he and several other stars did not return for Hocus Pocus 2, citing the sequel's need to simply move onto a new story involving the Sanderson Sisters. In Murray's case, Thackery Binx also died at the end of the first movie.
Max, Dani, and Allison, however, don't have any impact on Hocus Pocus 2. None of the three original characters return for cameos, with director Anne Fletcher citing their absence as due to difficulties in organically integrating them into the story.
What are the inappropriate scenes in Hocus Pocus 2?
There's some violence
In an earlier scene, the young Sanderson sisters use a spell to set the reverend's house on fire and revel in the destruction. Another scene later in the film shows Winnie magically throwing a man across the woods, attacking a young girl with her powers, and slicing another's neck for her blood.
The film was released in North America on July 16, 1993, by Walt Disney Pictures. Upon its original release, it received mixed reviews from critics and was initially a box-office bomb, possibly losing Disney around $16.5 million during its theatrical run.
There, they meet the Witch Mother and gives Winifred a magic spell book. In the present day, 29 years after the events of the first film, in 2022, an aspirant witch named Becca is celebrating her 16th birthday with her friend Izzy.
Disney boss Sean Bailey confirmed that Hocus Pocus 3 was in the works in June 2023, following the long-awaited sequel being a hit on the streaming service. Hocus Pocus 2's director, Anne Fletcher, is returning for the new movie, according to TheWrap.
“Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is happening,” he divulged in a New York Times interview. Of course, that news is not too surprising considering that when the hugely popular Hocus Pocus 2 premiered on Disney+ in October 2022, it proved itself as the streaming service's number one film premiere domestically to date.
What is the difference between Hocus Pocus 1 and 2?
“Hocus Pocus 2” begins with some new backstory on Salem's most famous coven, when the Sanderson sisters were teenagers in 1653. The intention is to establish an origin story, but the prologue does little to lend substance to the sisters' obsession with youth.
'Hocus Pocus 2' proves this Hollywood flop is officially a Halloween cult classic. The original movie was terrible. However, the sequel is brilliant, and a reminder of why Disney has become the biggest success story in entertainment.
Birch was asked to reprise the role of Dani in grown-up form, but scheduling conflicts prevented the actress from appearing in the Disney+ sequel, EW has confirmed.
Though original Hocus Pocus actress Thora Birch didn't reprise her beloved role as Dani in Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel stars who took the reins from the 1993 film's OG roster of teens tell EW what might've happened if a grown-up version of her character appeared in director Anne Fletcher's film as first planned.
Director Kenny Ortega hints at the possibility of Allison being a witch, expressing that he felt there was a little witch in the character throughout Hocus Pocus. While it is not confirmed that Allison is a witch in the Hocus Pocus canon, her fascination with witches and the supernatural raises the theory.
Elizabeth Jenny Rosemary Sanderson, Baroness Sanderson of Welton (born 24 May 1971) is a British political advisor, life peer, and former journalist. As a journalist, she worked at the Mail on Sunday for 17 years.
For their evil activities, Winifred and her sisters were sentenced to death by the Salem townsfolk in 1693, and later resurrected by Max Dennison in 1993. Upon her return, she and her sisters aspired to consume the life forces from children in order to achieve eternal youth and immortality.
How did the Sanderson sisters come back in Hocus Pocus 2?
This is because Gilbert, the owner of the magic shop that used to be the original Sanderson cottage, tricks the girls into resurrecting the witches by selling them a real one. Back in 1993, Gilbert witnessed the three witches as a child and had wanted to meet them ever since.
Billy greatly despises Winifred, but he did have a relationship with her when he was alive because they shared one kiss. He put up with it until he is fed up with her obsession and fell in love with her youngest sister Sarah.
She promises "some wonderful surprises in the mythology" of the trio, confirming that "they're not witches in the beginning," but that their origin story intertwines with that of the new threesome of modern-day teens (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham) who resurrect the Sanderson Sisters in ...
