Come little children, I'll take thee away...
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ new and returning cast members announced on Halloween
The black flame candle has been lit once again!
On Sunday (Oct. 31), Walt Disney Studios released a short Halloween teaser and gave a casting update on Hocus Pocus 2.
The sequel to the 1993 Disney classic Hocus Pocus will star Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, reprising their roles as Winnie, Sarah and Mary, respectively, nearly 30 years after the first film.
Joining the cast are Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Doug Jones, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Hannah Waddingham, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen.
Fall 2022 on #DisneyPlus, #HocusPocus2 cometh to us!#Hallowstream— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 31, 2021
Joining the original trio of the Sanderson sisters are Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Sam Richardson (Veep), 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. The new stars have been cast in undisclosed roles.
Original film star Doug Jones, who played William "Billy" Butcherson, an ex-boyfriend poisoned by Winifred who became a zombie is also set to return.
The original Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega, starred Midler, Parker and Najimy as three witches accidentally resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts. While the film wasn’t a box office hit, it gained a strong cult following and is considered an iconic Halloween movie, thanks to repeat airings on the Disney Channel and Disney Plus.
A follow-up has been in development since at least 2017, when Disney Channel considered doing a full-blown remake of the original. In 2019, it was confirmed that a proper sequel featuring the original stars was being eyed at Disney Plus.
In a previous interview with CBR, Midler said all three Sanderson sister actors approved of the script outline.
"They presented us with an outline, and after we picked ourselves up off the floor, because it's been 27 years, we looked at it and I think all of us agreed that it was pretty great," Midler said.
As reported by ScreenRant, original Hocus Pocus star Omri Katz, who played the teenage boy Max, says he hasn't been asked to reprise his role as Max for Hocus Pocus 2. However, Thora Birch, who played Max's younger sister Dani in the film, hinted a possible return in 2022 earlier this year.
2022 will be “Mah-velous! “. pic.twitter.com/OpOFXaGUbK
— Thora Birch (@1107miss) May 14, 2021
No plot details have been announced yet for Hocus Pocus 2, but hopefully more will be unveiled during the upcoming Disney Plus Day on November 12.
In the meantime, you can relive the nostalgia of the original Hocus Pocus below.
Disney Plus has confirmed a fall 2022 release for Hocus Pocus 2.