The film was released the same day as Free Willy. According to Kirschner, Disney chose to release Hocus Pocus in July to take advantage of children being off school for the summer. In October 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hocus Pocus was re-released in 2,570 theaters.
In 1993, the Sanderson sisters became cultural icons and go-to Halloween costumes — and now they're reprising their roles in a sequel. Catch up with the stars now! It may be a Halloween favorite, but the spooky fave Hocus Pocus was actually a summer release, debuting in theaters on July 16, 1993.
In July 1993, it opened in theaters in a disappointing fourth place at the weekend box office, behind The Firm, In the Line of Fire, and Jurassic Park. It continued to drop in the following weeks, ultimately bringing in just $39.5 million during its initial release.
"Hocus Pocus" was originally titled "Halloween House." And the title wouldn't have been the only difference — the first draft Mick Garris wrote in the 1980s was much darker than the final version.
While there might be many reasons behind the decision, one major possibility is Jantha's introduction of a fourth Sanderson sister into the written adaptation of the first film. The first half of Hocus Pocus & the All-New Sequel is basically a retelling of the 1993 film.
Why weren t Max Dani and Allison in Hocus Pocus 2?
Related Story. As for Max (Omri Katz) and Allison (Vinessa Shaw), director Anne Fletcher confirmed to Entertainment Weekly in August that they aren't returning, as it was “difficult” to fit them in the new storyline.
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.”
The actor said that the crooked smile was something she improvised while preparing to shoot the 1993 movie. This time around, she and the film's director Anne Fletcher worked the change in one scene.
The Sanderson sisters are fictional (as is their cottage), but three sisters were really accused of being witches in 1692 – Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Easty, according to the Salem Witch Museum. Cloyce escaped, but Nurse and Easty were ultimately hanged.
During the early 1600s, Hocus Pocus was a name commonly adopted by a juggler or magician. The name, and the words 'hocus pocus,' which were often chanted during tricks involving sleight of hand, is believed to be a perversion of the Latin blessing from the Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum, or “This is my body.”
The main problem with Hocus Pocus — as evidenced by the reviewers who cemented its 30 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — is that it never figures out what it wants to be. It's not scary enough to be a horror film, fast enough to be an adventure flick, or campy or whimsical enough to be a comedy or musical.
Others feel that it was an enjoyable and entertaining movie that was a good throwback, but most fans of the original Hocus Pocus waited years for a sequel, and the movie ended up being a bit of a disappointment.
Months after sources told Variety that a follow-up to 1993's Hocus Pocus was officially brewing at Disney+, the movie is confirmed—and it's finally hit its 2022 release date.
'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.
Though Sarah, Mary and Winifred in Hocus Pocus are not directly based on real-life figures, there were 19 accused witches hanged in Salem, typically in public executions like that of the Sanderson sisters.
Yes, you can see the real-life location where the Sanderson Sisters were resurrected—if you dare! This private residence located at 4 Ocean Ave in Salem dates all the way back to 1870. Visitors probably shouldn't go knocking, but you can take a stroll by the house and admire its iconic exterior.
Sarah Sanderson is the most beautiful, desirable, alluring, drop dead gorgeous, beguiling, attractive and most exquisite one of the Sanderson Sisters. As well as the prettiest, sexiest, loveliest, hottest, fairest and finest of the trio of witches. She has long, wavy light blonde hair and very fair and flawless skin.
In the newly-released sequel, Najimy continues to use the misshapen smile, but this time on the other side of her face. "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," Najimy told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Friday.
Of course, modern fans will also notice in TV viewings that Max Dennison's phone number was blurred out. Though 555 numbers are typically used for fictional numbers, telephone companies started issuing those numbers as the amount of people with cellphones grew. Someone actually has Max Dennison's phone number today.
What movie did Leonardo DiCaprio turned down Hocus Pocus for?
DiCaprio has said he was offered a large sum to be in Hocus Pocus. Nevertheless, he went with his gut and decided to decline the offer, as he was determined to get Arnie Grape's part (in What's Eating Gilbert Grape).
This is a cute Halloween flick without too much gore. The issue is that the PG rating is too low for what the movie contains. It views more like a PG-13. 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.
EW previously broke the news that OG Hocus Pocus stars Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch would not reprise their roles alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones in Hocus Pocus 2, though the sequel seamlessly resurrects their characters — Max, Allison, and Dani — for a brief, key ...
In order to achieve immortality, she sacrificed her sisters, and in a teary moment, Sarah and Mary say their goodbyes before slowly turning into glimmering dust fluttering around a horrified Winnie. Fortunately, the spell can be undone.
