Listen up, Millennials and Gen Z, it’s time to form a calming circle before we all start running amok (amok! amok!) because the production team behind Hocus Pocus 2 has just released more information about the long-awaited sequel!
Rumors and wishful thinking about a Hocus Pocus 2 have been circling around the internet since 2014, which prompted the original Sanderson trio to all unanimously agree that they would come back for it if it were to happen! That got the Disney development wheels turning and, starting in 2019, serious work on Hocus Pocus 2 began. They began filming 2021 and teased a release date of Fall 2022.
What we know so far
Disney released a key plot detail that the sequel will center around three teenage girls who accidentally bring back the Sanderson sisters to modern-day Salem and then have to stop them from wreaking child-hungry havoc on the world. We also know that there will be some flashbacks to old Salem after shots of a Salem set were leaked along with information that the old Salem burns as part of the Sanderson sisters’ backstory.
The cast
Obviously, we will be seeing the iconic return of Bette Middler as Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, and Kathy Najimi as Mary Sanderson, alongside Doug Jones as the beleaguered (and mummified) ex boyfriend Billy Butcherson, but there are going to be several exciting new faces, as well!
Some of the new cast and characters include the adorable and hilarious Sam Richardson as Gilbert the owner of possibly a Salem museum or occult shop, and Tony Hale (forever Buster Bluth in my heart) as Mayor Traske. Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) has also been cast in a yet-to-be-named role—could she be a new witch they have to contend with? Can she have a song with the Sanderson sisters? A girl can dream!
The teenagers who accidentally summon the Sandersons back into the modern world include Whitney Peak (one of the stars of the new Gossip Girl) as Becca, Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, and Lilia Buckingham as Cassie. Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf) has also been cast, perhaps as a potential love interest?
And perhaps the most interesting information of all, Taylor Henderson, Juju Journey Brener, and Nina Kitchen have been cast as the “young” versions of the Sanderson sisters. Henderson will play Young Winnifred, Brener Young will play Young Sarah, and Kitchen will play Young Mary. Their casting gives more context to the flashbacks that are part of this new story. We won’t be seeing the witches in their prime again, but how they were as children! Perhaps we will get to see how the now child-hungry witches got started down their evil path!
So when does Hocus Pocus 2 release on Disney Plus?
We’ve known that Hocus Pocus 2 will be released sometime in the fall of 2022 for a while now, executive producer (and former director) Adam Shankman had even announced, via Instagram, that Hocus Pocus 2 would release on Disney Plus on Halloween 2022, but Disney had some surprises in store!
According to SlashFilm, there was a presentation at Disney UpFront that announced the witchy sister’s sequel would actually be debuting a month early—on September 30 2022! Giving it plenty of time for audiences to get hooked and watch it during the Halloween season.
The presentation also included some rough footage of the new spooky sequel! According to EW, the clip showed two young girls lighting the notorious Black Fame Candle (you know, the one that summons the witches), as Bette Midler squeals, “Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we’re back!” The clip then cut to a musical number, a cover of “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John, while Doug Jones (as Billy Butcherson) and Sam Richardson appear. The mayor of Salem, played by Tony Hale, was also featured.
So stay tuned for more spooky updates as we draw closer to October 2022!
(Via: SlashFilm, EW/Image: Disney Plus)
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