Hocus Pocus 2

The Sanderson sisters of Salem have returned to trouble a new generation in Hocus Pocus 2, the decades-later sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic streaming ...

And now, Disney+ is all set for the release of Hocus Pocus 2 today. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). Also, in the original movie, Dough Jones plays Billy Butcherson, Winifred’s unfaithful lover. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. Hocus Pocus 2 is the sequel to the original movie and features the original cast to play the three witches. The original Hocus Pocus movie was released on July 16, 1993.

The long-awaited sequel features the three Sanderson witches we've come to know and love, with the movie starring the same iconic actors from the original such ...

Here are the details on how to watch and where you can see Hocus Pocus 2 . At the moment, there is no free trial for the streaming service, so you will need to sign up if you’re not already a member. How to watch Hocus Pocus 2: where to watch the sequel

Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy return as the witchy Sanderson sisters in Disney sequel 'Hocus Pocus 2.'

And after their 1993 rendition of “I Put a Spell on You,” of course the witches are obliged to revive their Vegas-style lounge act here, this time while crashing (what else?) a Sanderson Sisters-themed costume contest — a self-congratulatory wink at how popular the “Hocus Pocus” phenomenon has become. That lengthy gestation speaks to the long, weird shelf life of the first “Hocus Pocus,” received as a campy misfire but reclaimed, over the decades, as a Halloween staple and (oc)cult classic. They’re particularly funny in one sequence in which Becca and her friend, Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), try to distract the witches from their pedicidal rampage by taking them shopping at Walgreens, where they’re duly wowed by the advanced sorcery of beauty products and automatic sliding doors. That’s what happens again in “Hocus Pocus 2,” this time by way of a rather smarter teenager, Becca (Whitney Peak), and a very dumb Salem historian, Gilbert (Sam Richardson), plus some tortuous story logic that brings the evil sisters whooshing back to life. Flash forward to the present day, which happens to be exactly 29 years after the events of the first “Hocus Pocus,” when a virginal high schooler ill-advisedly resurrected the Sanderson Sisters for one Halloween night of literally soul-sucking mayhem. [“Hocus Pocus”](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-16-ca-13536-story.html) (1993), which, like “Avatar,” has now spawned a long-awaited follow-up.

Kellie Tomekowou, 5, landed an extra role as a preschooler during a Halloween festival scene.

"Its brought a lot of fun and confidence into their life," Tomekowou said. I have watched "Hocus Pocus" since I was a little girl," Caroline Tomekowou said. "It was really interesting.

Salem, Massachusetts hasn't changed all that much since Max (Omri Katz) and Dani Dennison (Thora Birch) accidentally resurrected the youth-seeking, ...

Becca and Cassie were definitely at odds with each other at the start of Hocus Pocus 2, mostly thanks to her jerky jock boyfriend who mocked Becca for being a witch, but by the end of the film, the trio is thick as thieves again, having rekindled their friendship in the face of true terror. At the beginning of the film, the Sanderson Sisters are shown as their younger selves in the 1600s, wreaking havoc on Salem, and, in Winnie’s case, actively avoiding being married off to the son of the reverend. In Hocus Pocus, we learned that Billy Butcherson was Winnie’s ex-boyfriend (though Sarah vehemently claimed he was her boyfriend too) who met a tragic end when Winnie decided to poison him in the 17th century, before resurrecting him as a zombie 300 years later. As she slowly turns to colorful sparkles, she seems satisfied with the fact that she’s joining her sisters in whatever afterlife has been afforded to them. In the early flashbacks, Hocus Pocus 2 makes it clear that Winnie’s main motivator throughout her entire life was to keep the three of them together. [Bette Midler](https://collider.com/tag/bette-midler/)), Sarah ( [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://collider.com/tag/sarah-jessica-parker/)), and Mary ( [Kathy Najimy](https://collider.com/tag/kathy-najimy/)) after unwittingly playing into a 30-year plan to summon them from the grave once more.

Hocus Pocus 2 review round-up: What critics are saying about the new Sanderson Sisters sequel streaming on Disney+. Read more on Boston.com.

The truth about the original “Hocus Pocus” is harder to swallow than a witch’s brew containing “a bit of thine own tongue”: It’s a very bad movie. Never is OG Hocus Pocus director Kenny Ortega’s absence more felt than in the film’s big musical number, which doesn’t hold a (black flame) candle to Midler’s vampy rendition of “I Put a Spell On You” from last time around. The central trio of Midler, Parker, and Najimy fail to recapture the gleeful chaos of the first outing. All in all, it’s twice as good as “Hocus Pocus.” It’s easier to write that if you didn’t like “Hocus Pocus.” Hocus Pocus 2 is stuck, trapped somewhere between different times, audiences and tones, trying to do so much yet, in this instance, achieving so very little. The new sequel, “Hocus Pocus 2,” out on Disney+ 29 years later, is much, much worse. That’s “Hocus Pocus 2.” It manages to tell its story straight, so that’s a huge improvement over the first one. The highlights of the first film are celebrated (there’s a delightful musical number) and there are some very funny moments, including a Sanderson sisters costume competition. Though it’s been nearly 30 years, all three bring the same verve to their performances, gamely swooning and shrieking around the screen, and leaning into the film’s “Three Stooges”-style slapstick with aplomb. [64 percent freshness rating](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hocus_pocus_2) at the time of this article’s publication. Thankfully, with a cast rounded out by Doug Jones, Hannah Waddingham and Sam Richardson, the brew-haha’s aren’t solely concentrated in the three leads. This time around, two best friends named Becca and Izzy (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo) celebrate Becca’s 16th birthday in Salem’s Forbidden Woods, where they are unwittingly tricked into lighting the Black Flame Candle that summons the Winnifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, respectively) once more.

The long-awaited sequel to the Halloween favorite is now streaming on Disney+.

We’re a very decisive group which goes also goes to show that women can be decisive.” Whatever it is that our mission is, there’s not a lot of second-guessing which I don’t think you see a lot.” And we talked a lot about leaning on each other and counting on each other and loyalty to each other. She has a core friend group and no matter what happens, she eventually gets to [make] sure that she has her sisters behind her the entire time.” I think she is a very good example of misstepping and not being able to figure it out until she communicates with her best friends. “You know, as a fan of the movie itself, this was directed right at me. It wasn’t like you were just a lackey. “I think I just admire that she just has this, like, blind loyalty to these girls, [and] will do anything for them, no questions asked—totally would go against three evil witches.” “And I think it’s amazing that, you have one end of horror, and then you have this end of camp. “He kind of matches the energy and the floppiness and the fun and the overdone characters of the sisters. Advertisement io9 recently participated in the press conference for the film with the cast and creative team to discuss the making of the movie and why it t00k 29 years to get here.

The end credits scene of Hocus Pocus 2 suggests that this isn't the last time we'll see the new cast of characters.

While very little was revealed about the glamorous witch that the young Sanderson Sisters encountered in the woods outside of Salem in the 17th century, that leaves the door open for bringing her back in a future installment and exploring yet another motivated witch. Box 2567, with an additional label indicating that within the box is “B.F Candle #2.” There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that “B.F.” means Black Flame candle and that the box contains a second Black Flame candle. While Binx isn’t in Hocus Pocus 2, Cobweb certainly filled the void left behind by the adorable black cat, and it seems fitting that the feline should be the one to close out the film and tease what might be on the horizon for the newly minted franchise. But, of course, she doesn’t want to be separated from her sisters and in the end, she relinquishes control and lets herself be turned to shimmery dust so she can join her sisters in whatever afterlife has been afforded to them. You can’t have Hocus Pocus and the Sanderson Sisters without some casual, garden-variety child sacrifices. While the original Hocus Pocus felt like the end of the story, there was still plenty of room for Disney to revisit the sisters and their story and Hocus Pocus 2 proves that you can smartly lean into nostalgia with a legacy sequel, without sacrificing quality—though there definitely are sacrifices!

'Hocus Pocus 2,' streaming on Disney+, brings back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters.

[was happening](https://collider.com/hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus-writer-jen-dangelo/), and Jen D’Angelo would be writing the script. Hocus Pocus 2 serves as both a prequel and a sequel, opening in 1653 Salem on the origin story of the Sanderson sisters. But somehow, the same Hocus Pocus magic works: the movie leans into larger than life qualities while still maintaining the spirit of a Halloween classic. [Where All The Strongest Hurricanes Have Hit the U.S. About six years later, rumors began to swirl of a potential sequel in the works, though nothing came to fruition immediately. Eventually, Disney+ took over the film. Slowly but surely, Hocus Pocus became a seasonal staple, especially for those nostalgic millennials who caught it on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween. In 1984, Kirschner pitched the idea to Walt Disney Studios, pouring candy corn on the table, hanging broomsticks from the ceiling, and putting up hand-drawn pictures of black cats. Since 2011, the movie has made “It changes tone as casually as the actors don their masquerade costumes, and has no scruples about breaking its own mood altogether.” The plot itself arose from a bedtime story that Kirschner told his two young daughters in the 1980s. Their sights are set, conveniently, on Max’s younger sister, Dani Dennison (Thora Birch).

She credited the sequel happening to her co-star, Bette Midler, who plays Winnie Sanderson. “To be completely honest, for the past 28 years, I didn't think much ...

[Extra](https://extratv.com/2022/09/27/sarah-jessica-parker-would-do-a-third-hocus-pocus-if-bette-midler-is-on-board/) in September 2022 that she would do a third Hocus Pocus movie is Bette Midler, who plays Winnie Sanderson, also returned. Here’s [how to subscribe for free](https://stylecaster.com/disney-plus-free-trial/). Will there be a Hocus Pocus 3? Kathy Najimy, who plays Mary Sanderson, for her part, told People in September 2022 about what it would take for her to come back for a third Hocus Pocus movie. [Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/movies/hocus-pocus-2-cast-interview-resurrecting-sanderson-sisters/) in September 2022, Bette Midler, who plays Winnie Sanderson, revealed that she proposed the idea of a Hocus Pocus sequel 10 years after the original movie’s premiere in 1993 but saw “no interest.” “Even when it became a phenomenon, [a sequel] wasn’t considered. My friend suggested that I go online, so I looked, and I was shocked because I’d never seen so much Hocus Pocus merch.” She continued, “I bought the costume, and I came as Winnie here and there, for this benefit or that benefit, and I realized there was something going on. See the full Hocus Pocus 2 cast below. (Disney Plus costs $7.99 per month, Hulu starts at $6.99 per month and ESPN Plus costs $6.99 per month for a total of $21.97 compared to [The Disney Bundle’s $13.99 per month](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=t1ZX7*4ybQA&mid=42392&u1=SC-&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Fstart) price.) Disney Plus and ESPN Plus also come free with [Hulu+ With Live TV](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=t1ZX7*4ybQA&mid=42392&u1=SC-&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Flive-tv), which costs [$69.99 per month](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=t1ZX7*4ybQA&mid=42392&u1=SC-&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Flive-tv). Get More Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, Verizon Plan Unlimited, Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited.) If you have one of these plans, you can sign-up for a free six-month Disney+ subscription (which saves you about $42.) [Click here for Verizon’s FAQ](https://www.verizon.com/support/disney-bundle-faqs/) on how to sign up for its free Disney+ subscription. “And the amount of Hocus Pocus costumes and merchandise I saw was shocking. So there you have it—a way to watch Disney Plus for free. Hocus Pocus 2 sees the Sanderson sisters accidentally become resurrected again by two teenagers, Becca and Izzy, as they celebrate Halloween and Becca’s 16th birthday.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Claudia Puig review this weekend's new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

It stars Viola Davis and is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood of ‘Love & Basketball,’ ‘The Secret Life of Bees,’ and ‘The Old Guard.’ In addition to strong reviews and word-of-mouth, ‘The Woman King’ has done quite well at the box office. [“](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9731598/) [Bros](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9731598/) [,”](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9731598/)Wide Release - “ The new film, ‘The Woman King’ is a rarity in Hollywood with a Black female studio head, a Black female director, and an overwhelmingly Black cast.

After the 'alchemy' of 'I Put a Spell on You,' Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker cover a Blondie hit in the Disney+ sequel.

Walk to the left!’” “He and I went to town on any song under the sun that had the word witch, moon, cat, evil, you name it. “Will it take another 30 years?” he asks with a laugh. “There’s a part that’s not in the movie where Bette and I totally went insane: ‘We’re gonna slay ya/ then probably fillet ya/ it might upset ya/ but we’ll getcha.’ We worked really hard on it, and even when I think it’s good, there will always be that phone call at night from Bette saying, ‘We gotta fix this part.’ She’s endlessly striving for perfection.” “We had to work quickly, and since Bette is a consummate live performer, you don’t need to do more than a few takes with her and Kathy and Sarah, and you’ve got it in the bag,” says Ortega. Though critics panned the movie and the audio still has yet to be released, the sequence has developed a cultlike popularity over the last three decades as the film has become a Halloween-season staple. And that began with Bette: She had a great sense of humor about the work and her character that she would often crack herself up. She just couldn’t believe some of the places that Winifred Sanderson enabled her to go, and I just had to tell her, ‘Keep going!’” “At the time, I just couldn’t imagine getting all the way through this movie without taking advantage of her musical talent.” The original “Hocus Pocus” sees Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as sibling witches desperate to extract children’s souls in order to maintain their own youth. Composer Marc Shaiman, who regularly collaborated with Midler on her musical performances onscreen and onstage, rearranged the track into a family-friendly showstopper that highlighted her soaring vocals and animated acting choices. [“Hocus Pocus 2,”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-09-30/hocus-pocus-2-review-bette-midler-disney) Bette Midler shouts off a set of direct commands.

Almost 30 years after the Sanderson sisters found their way into the hearts of millennial kids looking for some PG-rated Halloween content, they're back in ...

With a lively, witty script by Jen D’Angelo, “Hocus Pocus 2” finds the Sanderson sisters Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker) and Mary (Najimy) unleashed on their present day town once more. Peak, who played Idris Elba’s daughter in “Molly’s Game,” is a standout. This is not a testament to my taste at the time, when I thought “Grease 2” was one of the best movies ever, but more so indicative of the undeniable averageness of “Hocus Pocus.” I don’t think it was just me, either. Midler, Parker and Najimy are all once again game to ham it up for the audience (and sometimes no one but themselves) with spells, songs and dances. Set in a Stars Hollow-like Salem, it’s the perfect Disney+ movie — seasonally appropriate entertainment that, for at least one night, may save a family from the doom of endless scrolling and indecision. And yet, much to my bewilderment, “Hocus Pocus” became a thing over the years.

After some twenty-nine years, the notorious Sanderson sisters returns to Salem to stir up chaos in the latest Disney film, "Hocus Pocus 2."

The plan was to take him to the safety of his house, and in the meantime, the girls rushed to Cassie’s house to warn her of the Sanderson sisters. Reuniting with them made her the happiest, and the Sanderson sisters left the world on a happy note. The Book had its own consciousness, and Becca convinced it to not support Winifred and to join her. Gilbert apologized to Becca, Izzy, and Cassie for tricking them into bringing the Sanderson sisters. Even the Book refused to show her the recipe of the magic at first, but Winifred managed to control it and prepared to make the potion. The Book obliged and turned to the page that could help her. How will Becca and Izzy stop the witches from taking the lives of the children of Salem? Becca lit the candle, and the two chanted their desire to manifest their intentions. Scared of the unknown, Becca poured water over the candle and extinguished the flame. It was the magic that would make her the most powerful witch in the world, and she would be able to rule all. She gave the sisters the Book that helped them learn magic and become the witches that they were. After their little shopping spree at Gilbert’s store, Becca and Izzy went to the woods to perform their birthday ritual.

So of course Disney made a sequel. Hocus Pocus 2, which started streaming on Disney+ yesterday, revives the reviled Sanderson sisters—Winifred, Mary, and Sarah ...

Despite how much they want to eat children, they exude a defiance and obstinacy that can resonate with young audiences also caught in the turmoil of having to grow up. It also reminded me of what I enjoyed most about Hocus Pocus as a kid, even when I caught scenes in snippets: the leads’ commitment to making the Sanderson sisters not just odd, but naively so. Not much about Hocus Pocus is realistic, except the trio’s anxiety about stepping into a world they don’t know how to navigate. It strips the plot to its bare bones, largely ignoring the events that came before in favor of sequences that allow the actors to chew as much scenery as possible. Hocus Pocus 2 understands that Hocus Pocus has a lot that doesn’t work, including an overstuffed plot, hokey dialogue, and chintzy effects. The plot, about a coven of witches who seek to eat children, involves a talking cat, a boy who despises trick-or-treating, and far too many mentions of virgins lighting candles.

A Disney+ sequel to the classic Halloween movie is magical. Plus, check out a new Marilyn Monroe biopic, "Blonde," a new stand-up comedy special from ...

Wouldn’t you be tempted to [light the Black Flame Candle to hear Midler belt out a show tune](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/entertainment/hocus-pocus-2-disney/index.html), though? But it was also not fair to me.” I liked that the lyrics could be coming from two points of view, even if they were mostly written for one person to sing.” What did you like about today’s newsletter? What did we miss? I understand that probably he didn’t want a cohost, but the network wanted me to be the cohost and I didn’t think I should pass up that opportunity. [Ripa’s tension with her “Live with Kelly and Michael” cohost Michael Strahan](https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/entertainment/michael-strahan-kelly-ripa-interview/index.html), who famously left the show in 2016 amid Ripa’s complaints that she was the last to know of his decision. I don’t think it was fair to him. “These songs feel like my Great American Songbook, because of the songwriting and the impact that they had on me,” Wilson said in a statement. [ how tough things were at times with her former “Live with Regis and Kelly” cohost Regis Philbin](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/entertainment/kelly-ripa-regis-philbin/index.html). Speaking of Halloween: Almost 30 years after Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker blessed us – or should it be cursed us? [she rapped Naughty by Nature’s “Hip Hop Hooray”](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/22/entertainment/rita-wilson-rapping-coronavirus-trnd/index.html) in the early days of the pandemic.

Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker are back, witches. Disney Plus. Sisters! All Hallow's Eve has become a night of frolic, where ...

There's even a touch of pathos added to the lives of the hilariously fiendish Sandersons. Day scenes fade under a desaturated palette that doesn't fit the colorful material at all, and night scenes are often too dark to see what's going on. Like the original, it starts in the distant past -- but where the first movie began with a small child murdered and three women lynched (quite a kickoff for a family movie), the sequel goes back to 1653 for the origin story of the young Sanderson sisters annoying the puritanical townsfolk of Salem, Massachusetts. As the story progresses, the anarchic energy of earlier scenes gets bogged down in boring Harry Potter-esque action/adventure, complete with dueling lightning blasts in an underlit forest. Unfortunately, what should be a crisp 90-minute romp loses some of its sparkle in the second half. It's a fun opener that suggests all involved understand the assignment, particularly an eye-flashing Taylor Henderson as a young Winifred (complete with distinctive dentistry).

The witches are back for another Disney Plus reboot, steaming now in plenty of time for Halloween.

There's even a touch of pathos added to the lives of the hilariously fiendish Sandersons. Day scenes fade under a desaturated palette that doesn't fit the colorful material at all, and night scenes are often too dark to see what's going on. Like the original, it starts in the distant past -- but where the first movie began with a small child murdered and three women lynched (quite a kickoff for a family movie), the sequel goes back to 1653 for the origin story of the young Sanderson sisters annoying the puritanical townsfolk of Salem, Massachusetts. As the story progresses, the anarchic energy of earlier scenes gets bogged down in boring Harry Potter-esque action/adventure, complete with dueling lightning blasts in an underlit forest. Unfortunately, what should be a crisp 90-minute romp loses some of its sparkle in the second half. It's a fun opener that suggests all involved understand the assignment, particularly an eye-flashing Taylor Henderson as a young Winifred (complete with distinctive dentistry).