Hocus Pocus 2 Wraps Production, Will Release On Disney+ This Halloween
Another glorious morning brings some news that, one hopes, won't make you sick: "Hocus Pocus 2" has officially wrapped production. The sequel to Disney's 1993 box office bomb turned Halloween favorite kicked off filming last fall, with Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker reprising their beloved roles as the child-hunting Sanderson sisters. Disney had previously confirmed the fantasy comedy would begin streaming on Disney+ later this year, but it now seems the House of Mouse plans to unleash the movie in (no surprise) the heart of the spooky season.
Producer Adam Shankman confirmed the news in a post on his verified Instagram account reading, "SISTAAAAAHHHHSSS! Aaaaand that's a WRAP!!!" He went on to congratulate Midler, Najimy, and Parker, along with "the WHOOOOLLLEEEE cast and crew!!!" Shankman rounded out his update by revealing that "Hocus Pocus 2" will reach Disney+ by Halloween 2022 — although, with the holiday falling on a Monday this year, one assumes it will drop sometime the week before then, if not earlier.
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Anne Fletcher ("The Proposal," "Dumplin'") is directing "Hocus Pocus 2" from a script by Jen D'Angelo ("Workaholics"). They're but two of the many franchise newcomers working behind the scenes on the sequel, what with much of the original movie's crew having either retired, moved on to other ventures, or, in the case of editor Peter E. Berger, sadly passed away in the last 30 years. Still, "Hocus Pocus" composer John Debney did return to score the sequel, with Doug Jones also reprising his role as the late Billy Butcherson.
Whitney Peak ("Chilling Adventures of Sabrina"), Lilia Buckingham ("Crown Lake"), and Belissa Escobedo ("American Horror Stories") star in "Hocus Pocus 2" as Becca, Cassie, and Izzy, a trio of high-schoolers who have until midnight on All Hallow's Eve to stop the newly resurrected Sanderson siblings from wreaking havoc on the people of Salem. As for how the Sanderson sisters return, well, that's a good question. The original movie's running joke about a virgin lighting the Black Flame Candle hasn't exactly aged well, so it's possible the sequel will offer an alternate explanation for the witches' (don't call it a) comeback.
As fate would have it, "Hocus Pocus 2" is one of two belated comedy sequels hitting Disney+ this fall. The other is "Disenchanted," the followup to 2007's "Enchanted" that Shankman called the shots after a scheduling conflict forced him to bow out as director on "Hocus Pocus 2." Will either of these sequels cast a spell on viewers the way their forbearers did? Here's hoping for the best ... and preparing for the worst, of course.
"Hocus Pocus 2" flies onto Disney+ this Halloween season.