The 1993 fantasy-horror movie Hocus Pocus, which Kenny Ortega directed, recently had its sequel debut on Disney+, just in time for the upcoming Halloween season. The follow-up, Hocus Pocus 2, unleashes the witches in Salem, Massachusetts, with original stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker returning as the Sanderson sisters. And despite the fact that the original movie received quite a mixed bag of reviews, Hocus Pocus 2 became the top domestic film debut on Disney+ to date based on the hours streamed in the first three days of the film’s release, proving that the bewitching charm of the three witches never faded.
The premise of the sequel is identical to the first, with three high school students having to work together to stop the Sanderson sisters from wreaking havoc on modern-day Salem. The highly anticipated Anne Fletcher-directed film, which was released on September 30, brings back Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) to life, doing what they do best: causing destruction. The story of Hocus Pocus 2 revolves around three high school students, Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), who mistakenly summon the long-dead sisters from the dead. It is now up to the youngsters to prevent the insatiable, vengeful, and hungry witches from unleashing new havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
Even if the first Hocus Pocus movie did not exactly do well at the box office, the film’s increased sales and television screenings during the Halloween season elevated it to the status of a cult classic. So naturally, Hocus Pocus 2 was highly anticipated by fans who were waiting to see whether a sequel would match up to the magic of the original.
Hocus Pocus 2 did not exactly resemble the first. Instead, the film’s writer, Jen D’Angelo, finds a way to make the film more significant, preserving the legacy of the initial movie, told from the perspective of a new generation. Besides Midler, Parker, and Najimy, Hocus Pocus 2 also brings back Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson. Other cast members include Sam Richardson (Werewolves Within), Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf), Tony Hale (Veep), and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso).
Hocus Pocus 2 is now casting its spell on Disney+.