Release date, trailer, cast, and how to watch
(Pocket-lint) – If you lived in the 90s, especially as a kid, then you grew up listening to Hocus Pocus. The fantasy comedy starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy received mixed reviews and was not a box office success when it premiered in 1993. But now it’s a cult classic and a must-have for everyone at Halloween time. Fans have been begging Disney to make a sequel, and it’s finally here.
Hocus Pocus 2 is slated for release on Disney+ this fall. Here’s everything you need to know about the highly anticipated sequel, including release date, casting details, trailer and where to stream.
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Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): What you need to know
Let’s talk about the original Hocus Pocus first. The film begins in Salem, Massachusetts in the 16th century and follows a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who prey on children by bewitching them with a song and feeding on their souls. Known as the Sanderson sisters, they are captured by townspeople and hanged for killing a girl, Emily Binx, and for missing her brother, Thackery.
Hocus Pocus then jumps to the 1990s where we see teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) who has recently moved to town. Together with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend Allison (Vinessa Shaw) he explores an abandoned house. Allison, who is superstitious, tells them about the witches who lived in the house centuries ago. The Dennisons reject her story, but then Max lights a black flame candle, accidentally bringing the Sanderson sisters back to life. Now, with the help of a magical cat who is actually Thackery, the children must steal the witches’ spell book to prevent them from becoming immortal.
So, why is all this important to know? Well, in Hocus Pocus 2, three young women relight the black flame candle, accidentally bringing the Sanderson sisters back to present-day Salem. Like the Dennisons, they must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc and becoming immortal. The best thing about the sequel is that Midler, Parker, and Najimy all reprized their roles.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): release date
- Hocus Pocus 2 release date: September 30, 2022
Hocus Pocus 2 is scheduled for release on September 30, 2022. It’s a streaming exclusive, so it won’t be in theaters.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): How to Watch
Hocus Pocus 2 is a Disney movie – so it’s debuting exclusively on Disney+. Currently, the streaming service costs $7.99 per month in the US, but that will soon increase.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): Cast
Recurring cast members include Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanders, and Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson. They are three Sanderson Sisters. New cast members include Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo. They are high school students (Becca, Cassie and Izzy respectively) who bring back the Sanderson sisters.
Other performers are:
- Tony Hale plays Salem Mayor and Cassie’s father, Sam Richardson
- The owner of the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe (old Sanderson house) is Hannah Waddingham, a character called The Witch
- Froy Gutierrez plays Mike, Cassie’s boyfriend
- Taylor Paige Henderson plays a young Winnie Sanderson
- Juju Brene plays a young Sarah Sanderson
- Nina Kitchen plays a young Mary Sanderson
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): Trailer
So far, Disney has released a teaser trailer (below), a reaction from the Sanderson Sisters to the teaser (below), and a full trailer (top of this page).
Teaser Trailer | Hocus Pocus 2 | Disney+
Trailer Reaction | Hocus Pocus 2 | Disney+
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): How to Catch Up
It’s easy – just watch the Hocus Pocus original before you watch the sequel. You can stream it now via Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video.
Written by Maggie Tillman.