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.
Hocus Pocus bombed at the box office in 1993, but it has gained cult status today after popularity from home video releases and TV broadcasts. The movie's release date in July was a major mistake, as it didn't align with the Halloween theme and faced tough competition from other films.
'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.
It's not quite a mature or raw as the first one, but, she works well to be the character and evolve the head sister. The Visual Effects Are Fun: The original had impressive magic to the moments back in the first Hocus Pocus that were great for the times.
Hocus Pocus 2 is not only the most-watched movie ever on Disney+, but has broken a Nielsen record for a streaming movie in its debut weekend with 2.7 billion minutes views.
CNN reported that the Sanderson sisters are fictional characters. There were not three sisters named Winifred, Sarah and Mary who were executed for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
“Hocus Pocus 2” is also awful to the core, but charmless and too low stakes to keep our interest. Most of the movie is wink-wink references to the old one: In a meta moment, Winifred (Midler) watches a millennial couple as they watch the film on the couch.
Arriving nearly 30 years after the original, Hocus Pocus 2 has a slightly better (but still Rotten) review score in Rotten Tomatoes. The original film received bad reviews and was a box office flop, but became a cult classic over the years thanks to numerous seasonal replays on the Disney Channel and home media.
The sky-high streaming debut figures suggest that “Hocus Pocus 2” might have succeeded at the box office had it opened in theaters, grossed a halfway decent global cume and then debuted to almost-as-big streaming figures.
Hocus Pocus 2 is basically a boiling cauldron of nostalgia, but that's just enough for this belated sequel to cast a reasonably effective spell. Hocus Pocus 2 has its moments, but for fans who've waited years for a sequel to the original, this is mostly a disappointment.
There is a lot to enjoy about the sequel, even for stubborn fanatics of the Kenny Ortega feature film. While there are plenty of fan service nods to its 1993 predecessor, “Hocus Pocus 2” stands capably on its own, offering a spooky diversion for a whole new generation of viewers.
The somber moment is the film's greatest lesson. Winifred asks Becca and her "coven" to do a spell to reunite her with Mary and Sarah. Becca, Izzy and Cassie succeed but sadly, it just means Winifred dies to join her sisters. Winifred lets out one last, "Sisters!" before vanquishing.
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.
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.
But something happened with "Hocus Pocus," which was originally released on VHS in January 1994. Slowly but surely, people started to discover it, be it through home video or cable TV rotation. The movie was later released on DVD in 2002, and that's when its audience truly started to blossom.
According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, Hocus Pocus 2 was the most watched program across all platforms during the weeks of October 5, 2022, and October 14, 2022.
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.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly Kathy Najimy explained she switched the side of the smile to the left as it was getting too difficult to do it on the right side. She said: "It's on the other side mainly because it's so hard for me to do it on the side I did it on 30 years ago.
Gooch first warned parents about the film on social and then joined CBS' local Texas affiliate Kwtx for a now-viral interview. “A worst case scenario is: you unleash hell on your kids and in your home,” Gooch said. “The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.”
While the Halloween violence is minimal, there are numerous sexual innuendos in this movie that are shocking for a movie that seems to be aimed for kids. Examples include the 16 year old brother snuggling a pillow and pretending it's his crush and numerous references to him being a "virgin".
The Sanderson Sisters were executed in 1693 after taking the life force of a young girl and turning her brother into a black cat (though the people of Salem believed they had killed him, too), and they continued their evil plans in 1993 by attempting to lure the children of Salem to them so they could take their life ...
Winifred, Mary and Sarah are executed in 1693 and have been dead for 300 years. They are brought back in 1993 when the black flame candle is lit. Winifred loves her spell book above all.
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.
