We can’t believe it: the Sanderson Sisters have returned! Disney+ has made this spooky season even more exciting by releasing a sequel 29 years after the first Hocus Pocus was released to us mere mortals in 1993. Hocus Pocus has certainly been a Halloween movie must-see over the years, and since rumours of these Salem witches returning surfaced in 2019, we have been patiently waiting with Halloween mugs in hand.
A Hocus Pocus Recap
For those who have been living under a rock and are unaware of the powers of this first bewitching film, we were transported to 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts, where the Sanderson Sisters who clearly haven’t been using retinol begin to age and grey. The witches concoct a potion that allows them to suck the life force out of young children, restoring their own youth, using Thackery Binx’s sister Emily as their first victim. Thackery tries to save his sister but is beaten by the frail witches. When Thackery confronts the witches, Winifred curses him to live forever as a black cat.
When the town discovered what these three witches had done, they were captured and hung, but Winifred uttered one final spell, declaring that on Halloween night, when the moon is full, a virgin will bring them back to claim the lives of all the children in Salem. Thackery, cursed, decides that his aim in this feline state will be to prevent the witches from being resurrected.
Max Dennison, a Halloween hater, relocates to Salem three hundred years later. Max’s younger sister, Dani, coerces him into trick-or-treating with her, where he meets Allison, Max’s new high school crush, and invites him to the Sanderson Sister museum. We all know not to go into places that are dark and boarded up, but they do, and this is where Max discovers the Black Flame Candle, which is rumoured to summon souls from the dead on Halloween night if lit by a virgin during a full moon. Max lights this blackened candle to show Dani and Allison that it’s all rubbish, but he was certainly mistaken.
"We must fly!" 🧹
Check out this first official clip from #HocusPocus2, an Original movie event, streaming September 30 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/h5pbCf9Vjr
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) September 14, 2022
The witches were ecstatic to be returning home after such a long time in the afterlife, made even more so by Mary’s declaration that she smelled children. Her keen sense of smell brings them straight to Dani’s hiding spot, forcing her out into the open. Allison, like the young hero she was, manages to rescue Dani and escape the clutches of these greedy witches. A black cat attacks out of nowhere, allowing Dani ample time to wake up her groggy brother before Winnie can react. When Max looks shocked at the talking cat, the cat urges him to obtain the witches’ spellbook.
Convincing their parents that they’ve resurrected three legendary witches was proving difficult until Dani noticed the Sisters. Max and the others flee from the witches’ minions and eventually escape as the Sisters take the stage and captivate the entire audience with their song.
Allison stumbles onto an ancient oven and devises the great plan of burning the witches to death in the high school’s ceramic kiln. Unfortunately, the witches escape unscathed. Max sacrificed himself by taking the potion, which surprised everyone. Winnie lifts him high into the air and attempts to ingest his life essence despite his furious protests.
10 Days 🤝 10 Reasons#HocusPocus2, an Original movie event, is streaming September 30 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/i08EUANeZD
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) September 20, 2022
Dani, Allison and Binx successfully repel Mary and Sarah by yanking the cord of the vacuum cleaner Mary is using as a broomstick and releasing it to propel the two witches into the air. As they fly over, Winifred and Max lose their footing and crash to the earth. Winifred claws her way closer to Max, planning to drain him again, but she steps on holy ground and turns to stone.
The Sanderson Sisters disintegrated into dust as the sun rose in 1993, unable to carry out their diabolical scheme. Most fans believed their narrative ended there, but their devoted supporters took to the books, which implied that one day we might hear their cackles again.
When is Hocus Pocus 2 Being Released?
To our joy, the rumours were true: 29 years after the original film, three high school friends mistakenly summon the Sanderson Sisters (fortunately, we never made that mistake), and they must work together to discover a means to permanently stop the Sisters. This eerie film will be available exclusively on Disney+ beginning September 30th, just in time for the Halloween season. Prepare for the Sanderson Sisters’ visit with IWOOT UK’s Halloween gifts and essentials in case you unintentionally invite them over (clearly it has happened before).
The Cast of Hocus Pocus 2
When the sequel was announced, many people speculated on whether it would use the same cast as the first. Some will be relieved to learn that Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker kept their titles as Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson, respectively. Not only that, but Doug Jones will return as Winifred’s zombified ex-boyfriend, Billy Butcherson; some exes just seem to pop up out of nowhere, sorry Winnie!
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 25, 2022
And, despite the presence of a black cat in the trailer, it is not Binx from the original film. He must have used all nine of his life. However, it has been established that the new film’s black cat is named Cobweb, but he does not have a speaking role.
Whitney Peak is a newcomer to this film, best known for popular TV shows such as Home Before Dark and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Sabrina plays Becca, and Belissa Escobedo from American Horror Stories plays her best friend Izzy. To balance this duo, their friend Cassie is played by Lilia Buckingham from her well-known part in Crown Lake, indicating that all of these ladies are comfortable in a scary situation. Let’s see what these newbies can bring to this time-honoured classic!
September 30th, 2022, cannot arrive fast enough, but while we wait, why not prepare for the frightful season with all you need for Halloween right here?
