The Sanderson sisters – Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) – will soon be back on our screens in the new Hocus Pocus sequel, which will land on Disney Plus later this year to coincide with Halloween.
For decades, fans of the original 1993 Hocus Pocus film, which was initially deemed a financial disappointment but has since become a cult classic, have been asking about a follow-up.
And now the first teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 has been released, giving devoted fans a taste of the wickedness to come.
The footage shows a group of teenagers trying to cast a spell to reignite the black flame and resurrect the coven, with the original trio eventually coming back to life.
Midler’s witch character Winifred screeches: “Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we’re back!”
Alongside the trio, the streamer has also revealed several new cast members for the project, with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, and Veep pair Tony Hale and Sam Richardson set to appear alongside returning faces like Doug Jones.
The original Hocus Pocus film saw the three Sanderson sisters resurrected after 300 years to cause chaos in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, and now 30 years later, the witches will be reanimated yet again.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Hocus Pocus sequel, including all the details we have so far regarding a release date, casting news and potential plot details.
Hocus Pocus 2 release date
Disney Plus has confirmed that Hocus Pocus 2 will be released on 30th September 2022 – in plenty of time for Halloween.
After having reportedly been in development for a number of years, Hocus Pocus 2 was officially confirmed at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day – fresh after the original Hocus Pocus film had become the biggest big-screen re-release of 2020 at the worldwide box office, while filming kicked off in late 2021.
It seems the film will not be getting a cinema release but will instead go straight to the streaming service.
Coming exclusively to @DisneyPlus is Hocus Pocus 2, the spooky sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic! @AdamMShankman is set to direct.
— Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020
Hocus Pocus 2 cast
The good news for fans is that the new film will see the stars of the original reunite – this is a proper sequel, rather than a remake or reboot.
In October 2020, Bette Midler told Fox 5 New York, “They want to make a movie, they’ve asked us if we were interested and of course all of us said yes.”
She added: “I’m game, I’m totally game.”
In May 2021, it was indeed confirmed that we would see Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as the three Sanderson sisters!
It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus 2️⃣
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will reprise their roles as the delightfully wicked Sanderson Sisters in #HocusPocus2, coming fall 2022 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gr3B0Z1JcA
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 20, 2021
Meanwhile, it’s been announced that another star of the original, Doug Jones, is also returning to reprise the role of Billy Butcherson, alongside an exciting list of new cast members.
Those newcomers include Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, and Veep pair Tony Hale and Sam Richardson, as well as Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Lilia Buckingham (Zoe Valentine), Belissa Escobedo (The Baker and the Beauty), Juju Brener (Vanquish), Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf), Taylor Henderson (Earwig and the Witch) and Nina Kitchen.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
Hocus Pocus 2 trailer
A trailer has landed, showing Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in action as the sinister Sanderson Sisters, who will once again be wreaking havoc on the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Watch below:
What will the Hocus Pocus sequel be about?
In a press release, Disney confirmed that Hocus Pocus 2 would see “three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world”.
Not too dissimilar from the first film then – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The film will be directed by The Proposal’s Anne Fletcher, who assures us that the film will please new and old fans alike.
“I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special,” she said. “This is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Fletcher is taking over from previously announced director Adam Shankman, who is hard at work on Enchanted sequel and fellow Disney Plus exclusive Disenchanted.
Original Hocus Pocus writer Mick Garris is looking forward to it – he recently told Comicbook.com he was “excited” by the prospect, adding that “the main reason the movie worked was the Sanderson Sisters”.
Meanwhile, Bette Midler has also said of the script that “I think all of us agreed that it was pretty great” – so whatever happens in the movie it looks like fans could be in for a (trick or) treat.
We’ll let you know when we hear of any more plot details.
Hocus Pocus 2 comes to Disney Plus on Friday 30th September 2022. Check out more of our Film and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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