While Murray had been cast as Binx, the filmmakers wanted Marsden to voice the character, meaning Marsden (who was also friends with Murray!) had to dub the lines for both the cat and human forms of the character.
Why was Sean Murray's voice dubbed in Hocus Pocus?
In 2017, Marsden told the Daily Beast that producers dubbed his voice over Murray's because the actor sounded "contemporary" and they thought it would be more realistic if Binx had "an affected accent" from the same time period as the witches.
In addition, Murray has appeared in several feature films including Hocus Pocus (1993), his first motion picture film appearance, in which he played Thackery Binx. While this is one of his most well-known roles, his voice in the film was dubbed by Jason Marsden.
In Hocus Pocus, Murray played Thackery Binx, a young man who gets cursed by the Sanderson sisters and has to live as a cat for centuries. Though the actor did not appear in 2022's Hocus Pocus 2, Murray has found success starring on CBS's popular series NCIS where he plays Special Agent Timothy McGee.
This fall, “Hocus Pocus 2” will reunite the cast of the beloved Halloween comedy, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Doug Jones. One member of the cast who won't be making his return is Jason Marsden, who voiced the cursed cat Thackery Binx, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Leonardo DiCaprio had the chance to play the lead role of Max Dennison in 1993 cult classic fantasy comedy movie Hocus Pocus, but ultimately turned it down.
When asked about the potential return of Max, Dani, Allison, and Binx, Fletcher said she decided to avoid it as she couldn't find a way to include them in the story organically. Binx not returning was for the best. However, the Hocus Pocus 2 post-credit scene opens up the possibility for a third film.
How old was Sean Murray when he was in Hocus Pocus?
Murray, now 37, was cast when he was 14 years old as Thackery Binx -- the 17th-century boy who was unable to rescue his sister Emily from the Sanderson sisters and was turned into a black cat.
If they wanted me to be involved with it in some sort of way, I would probably say yes." Did you know that this was Sean?! In a 2016 interview about the film, he added: "I was 14 when I made that, and I will get kids that are 11 or 12 years old and say “Hey! You are the Binx from Hocus Pocus."
It became darker and raspier around the same time that the character's personality became more serious. Looper writer Alex G noted that many fans believe this to be an artistic decision, but Sean Murray had just lost 25 pounds and quit smoking, both of which can change a person's voice.
Sean Harland Murray is an American actor known for his role as Special Agent Timothy McGee on the American TV drama NCIS. He also played Thackery Binx in Disney's Halloween film Hocus Pocus and Danny Walden in the military drama series JAG.
While Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy went on to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus 2, Sean was noticeably absent from the sequel.
Does Sarah Jessica Parker really sing in Hocus Pocus?
"Sarah's Theme", also known as "Come Little Children" or "Garden of Magic" is a song featured in both films, and it is performed by Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson. This young witch is the clumsiest of the coven, and she is constantly being scolded by Winnie over the things she says or does.
About eight real-life black cats were used to play Binx as a cat. The names of the cats used for the role of Binx in his cat form were Stimpy, Felix, Mad Cat, Clyde, Killer, Rio, Tom-Cat, and 'Fraidy Cat. Sean Murray, the actor that played Thackery, is best known for his role of agent Tim McGee on the show NCIS.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Murray opened up about Hocus Pocus 2's returning stars. 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.
At age 11, Birch appeared in the Halloween-set fantasy film Hocus Pocus (1993), playing Dani Dennison, the younger sister of a teenage boy who inadvertently resurrects a trio of witches.
SJP was around 28 when she first starred as Sarah in Hocus Pocus. Before the movie, she'd starred in films such as Footloose, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and Honeymoon in Vegas. Hocus Pocus came five years before she became a household name in series Sex and the City.
While Murray had been cast as Binx, the filmmakers wanted Marsden to voice the character, meaning Marsden (who was also friends with Murray!) had to dub the lines for both the cat and human forms of the character.
The NCIS actor said: “To those who have asked what I did to lose the 25 lbs: 14 months of no alcohol and almost no sugar. Ate strictly organic.” (via Twitter). This diet certainly did the job – so much so that some NCIS viewers were concerned that Sean was unwell.
Dani is a headstrong eight-year-old girl who has no qualms about screaming like a banshee when Max refuses to take her trick-or-treating or making fun of him in public, but she has a good heart and does not hesitate to defend him from neighborhood bullies or the Sanderson sisters.
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.
It's like, why is he not saying anything? JASON MARSDEN (VOICE OF BINX): What a great idea for a prequel this would be, to find out how he does figure all of this out. My guess is: It's a new spell, a new forum. You try being a cat for an hour and learn how to walk, use a tail, and talk!
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.
