Hocus Pocus 2

This makes sense. The project only exists to entice adults who convinced themselves that the first wacky-witches kid-friendly horror comedy was 'good, actually' ...

You’ll wish it were as good as Aladdin and the King of Thieves or Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. It’s not like the first film was Kenny Ortega’s finest hour (that would be, offhand, Michael Jackson This Is It, High School Musical 3 or Descendants 2), but it was at least somewhat unique alongside the likes of Jurassic Park, The Firm and Rising Sun. Otherwise, there’s no ‘there’ there, with (as expected) less explicit horror and no implicit lust making the film tame even by the standards of its predecessor. Anne Fletcher (who helmed much better films like Step Up, The Proposal and 27 Dresses) brings little to the table, although nobody wanted to use the protection of the IP to expand anyone’s horizons. And I will concede that I appreciated the role reversal of the popular girl (Lilia Buckingham) who feels ostracized from her previous peer group of less-popular kids (Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo). The critics were right in 1993, but I get the appeal.

The Sanderson sisters return, bringing the same spooky humor with some modern twists. ... From left, Kathy Najimy ...

In a slight retread of the first film’s plot, “Hocus Pocus 2” follows two present-day Salem teenagers, Becca and Izzy (Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo), who accidentally bring the witchy Sanderson sisters back to life while performing their yearly Halloween night ritual. 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. [an initial negative reception](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/16/movies/review-film-bette-midler-queen-witch-in-heavy-makeup.html) when it was released in 1993, the Halloween-themed comedy starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as a trio of campy witch sisters gained a fan base through seasonal VHS rentals and repeated airings on ABC and the Disney Channel.

'Hocus Pocus 2,' starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, will be on Disney+ starting September 30.

[Hocus Pocus 2](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus-2%2F4Q5cWHlnVCun) [ page](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus-2%2F4Q5cWHlnVCun) on Disney+'s official site or stream it directly on the [Disney+ app](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fdisney%2Fid1446075923). [$7.99 per month or $79.99 per year](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhelp.disneyplus.com%2F). [Adrianna Freedman](/author/245093/Adrianna-Freedman)Editorial Assistant In addition, you can opt into the Disney Bundle (which includes Hulu and ESPN+) for [$13.99 per month](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fwelcome%2Fdisney-hulu-espn-bundle). And while you're at it, you should make watching the new film into a movie marathon, with a screening of [Hocus Pocus](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus%2F2iCcYcGrx7qD) as well. [Hocus Pocus](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/a40116820/hocus-pocus-quotes/) debuted in theaters, fans have made the Halloween movie into a classic. There are multiple ways you can watch and stream Hocus Pocus 2. Here's what you need to know about watching Hocus Pocus 2 online: Hocus Pocus 2 will exclusively stream on Disney+. Now, it's up to a new set of teens to make sure they don't cause chaos again, all before dawn on All Hallow's Eve. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan, as they accidentally resurrect the Black Flame Candle and bring the Sanderson sisters back. Now, Disney is revealing what the trio of evil witches have been up to in [Hocus Pocus 2](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a38135298/hocus-pocus-2-sequel-trailer-cast-release-date-news/), premiering on September 30.

When it was first released in 1993, the Halloween tale about three witchy sisters—played with panache by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker— ...

Though it doesn’t steer close to the campy magic of the original, that’s as good a reason as any to return to Salem. It’s probably the only way to tell the story in the modern age, though it may come as a disappointment to hardcore Hocus Pocus fans who miss the crass flavor of the original. If Hocus Pocus was a kid movie aimed at adults, Hocus Pocus 2 is a teen movie aimed squarely at tweens. Once they’re back, the sisters run amok, resuming their evil mission of stealing kid souls to stay youthful and alive forever. Directed by Anne Fletcher, the film brings us back to modern-day Salem, where the Sanderson sisters have gone from being a local legend to becoming a major commercial part of the town’s tapestry. When it was first released in 1993, the Halloween tale about three witchy sisters—played with panache by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker—stomping around modern-day Salem and trying to steal the souls of children was a critical and commercial misfire.

Director Anne Fletcher explains which part from Hocus Pocus she didn't dare try to recreate in the new Disney Plus sequel.

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. "Carrying on the sequel and making sure that I'm honouring these characters for the fans and bringing a new generation in." [Film](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/) and [Fantasy](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/) coverage, or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the [Radio Times podcast](https://www.radiotimes.com/podcasts/) with Jane Garvey. [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). [Hocus Pocus 2 review: Something nostalgic this way comes](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/hocus-pocus-2-review-disney-plus/) [sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year](https://disneyplus.bn5x.net/c/1236178/564546/9358?subId1=radiotimes-1713851&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb) now. [learn more](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/commercial-links-on-radiotimes-com/)) [Hocus Pocus 2](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/hocus-pocus-2-release-date/) to even dare recreate. Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) [RadioTimes.com](https://www.radiotimes.com/) and other media at a press conference ahead of the film's release. [Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for £1](https://www.buysubscriptions.com/print/radio-times-magazine-subscription?promo=RTBPL22&utm_medium=brandsite&utm_source=radiotimes.com&utm_campaign=fixed-article_rtbpl22&utm_content=promotional-link&utm_style=brand)

Jen D'Angelo says being on set of "Hocus Pocus 2" was thrilling and shares how she wrote the script before the original cast officially signed on.

I really loved every aspect of being on set with the production. I got chills — I couldn't believe I was really writing "Hocus Pocus 2" in my little neighborhood coffee shop. I pitched that version and hoped for the best. And it all comes back to the Sanderson sisters. I wrote a big chunk of "Hocus Pocus 2" at a coffee shop near my house in LA. I don't really have much of a process when it comes to writing. I wrote a feature sample on the side that was getting passed around, which is how Disney got to know me. I couldn't wait to talk to them about this movie I'd grown up with and my ideas for how we could continue the story. I did comedy and improv on the side. When my agent forwarded me the email, I could not respond fast enough. My first TV writing job was on season five of "Cougar Town." It scared me so much, but I immediately wanted to write my own scary story.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy share what it's like to revisit the Sanderson sisters and what surprises are in store.

In "Hocus Pocus 2," the Sanderson sisters are accidentally brought back to life on All Hallows' Eve. "And great news," Escobedo's character chimes in. You are our idols."

Hocus Pocus 2 is here. It only took 29 years, but the film is finally about to drop on Disney+, and in support of the film, the cast and filmmakers came ...

In any situation where women are together, a bond of friendship and sisterhood is really important, and this movie says sort of shores it up.” Director Anne Fletcher explains that the mission in general for this film is the story and honoring the first movie. Hocus Pocus 2 gives fans the backstory of the Sanderson Sisters, but also focuses heavily on their sisterhood and the love they have for one another. And he matches the energy in the floppiness and the fun and the overdone characters of the sisters.” She says she doesn’t want to use the word agitating, but it is something she never let go of the hope for, and continued to press about it. Billy Butcherson almost instantly became a fan favorite from Hocus Pocus, and Doug Jones exclaims that he was thrilled to return to play him again in Hocus Pocus 2.

Bette Midler returns with her child-killing sisters in a disappointingly flat follow-up that tries too hard to soften the villains.

So in Hocus Pocus 2, Hocus Pocus exists which begs too many questions to even begin trying to answer (I tried, got a migraine and promptly gave up). The dialogue is leaden with exposition, there are weird, indulgent musical sequences (that perhaps serve as a tease of the It’s a contemporary touch done with a heavy hand and is most discordant in the sugary finale as the tone swerves to moist-eyed emotion and the power of sisterhood, taking us so very far away from where we came from. [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://www.theguardian.com/film/sarah-jessica-parker) and Kathy Najimy) last showed up in Salem (why they didn’t wait for it to be a clean 30 is a mystery) and since then their legend has become commercialised and, for some, rewritten. It’s as tied to the day as bobbing for apples and being scared of teenagers, the kind of lived-in practice that happens without thinking about it, leading to huge, unquestioning pockets of affection, less for what it contains and more for what it represents. At times it feels more like an extended, if joke-free, SNL skit than a real movie, giving us the iconography we want but without any of the soul, propulsion or bare necessity we need to go with it, something that exists because it could rather than should.

We speak to an Oscar winner and a grime star this week, in the latest Backstage - the TV and film podcast from Sky News.

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Claire Gregory is joined as usual by Stevie Wong, alongside Sky News' arts and entertainment reporter Chris Robertson, as they look at the latest news and reviews in the world of film and TV. We speak to an Oscar winner and a grime star this week, in the latest Backstage - the TV and film podcast from Sky News.

Andrew Scott and Bella Ramsey star in Lena Dunham's bracing look at life in medieval England, while the 90s cult classic gets the original Sanderson Sisters ...

[atmospheric drama](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/16/waves-review-drama-trey-edward-shults-peter-bradshaw). [2013 film](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/05/aint-them-bodies-saints-review), a delicate, Malick-esque love story. [sprightly comedy](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/13/catherine-called-birdy-review-lena-dunhams-delightful-medieval-romp) by Lena Dunham focuses on Birdy (Bella Ramsey) as she narrates her life as a 14-year-old aristocrat in medieval England. The work was done by the staff of Gazeta Sporturilor, which is known mainly as a sports paper, and though there are many depressing aspects to the film’s revelations, it does proves the vital role independent journalism can play in an open society. The serious nature of their situation is balanced by the giddy newness of adventure; their offence gaining iconic status in the Black communities they pass through and are welcomed by. Bridges is as magnetic as ever as the lawman on the verge of retirement, but Pine and Foster also impress as the errant siblings.

It's unlikely even Disney knew they had a classic Halloween scene on their hands when they put microphones in front of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, ...

The only real innovation of the Sandersons is a prologue set during their childhoods in the 1600s, and a more benign variation on the first movie’s climax, both of which seem ready to recontextualize the Sandersons as antiheroes. Children are the ultimate arbiters of whether this movie is worth their time, and much like how one generation embraced the first film on the Disney Channel, Hocus Pocus 2’s faults will undoubtedly be mooted by this film’s core Disney+ viewership who won’t mind if it’s more of the same, but worse. While it’s nice to finally have a Disney movie about kids going on an adventure again, unlike the brother-sister dynamic between Omri Katz and Thora Birch in the original movie, or even the tragedy of the animatronic black cat they called Thackery Binx, there’s no emotional investment by the screenplay or the direction in Becca’s storyline. But that new subplot seems undercooked since the movie still needs scenes of the weird sisters thrilled at the notion of eating children’s souls. Of course it’s unfair on some level to be comparing a new, perfectly innocuous family movie on streaming so intensely with the original, and yet the problem with nostalgia sequels is they retrace their predecessors’ footprints so studiously that it’s impossible to separate them. It’s perfunctory, like most of the plot machinations throughout the movie. Some of those set-pieces work, including when the invaluable Doug Jones reprises his role as Billy Butcherson, the Good Zombie from the original movie, but it’s all old, pointy hat. They sing, they cackle, and they pratfall with a relish that’s infectious. The trio immediately break into a song, and are then breaking bad… Set almost exactly 30 years after the ‘93 film, Hocus Pocus 2 primarily follows three adolescent girls who once were their own makeshift coven of wiccans: Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham). Thirty years on, that spell endures still, making the scene and the movie it’s borne from a stone cold holiday classic. Redoing such iconography is always the greatest intimidation, yet biggest audience expectation, that comes with remakes, reboots, and legacy sequels.

How to watch and stream Hocus Pocus 2 full film online via Disney+, plus trailer and cast starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy.

[Disney+](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb%2Fwelcome&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F). [Hocus Pocus 2](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41194714/hocus-pocus-3-possibility-addressed/) [ stars address possible third movie](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41194714/hocus-pocus-3-possibility-addressed/) [Hocus Pocus 2 first reactions say it lives up to the original](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41354335/hocus-pocus-2-first-reactions/) [Hocus Pocus](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus%2F2iCcYcGrx7qD&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F), so you can marathon both spooky instalments back to back. [Disney+](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb%2Fwelcome&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F) subscribers. [musical numbers](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41211736/hocus-pocus-2-big-musical-songs/), following their memorable 'I Put a Spell On You' performance in the original. [Hocus Pocus 2](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a31148112/hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus-release-date/), which is out now on [Disney+](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus-2%2F4Q5cWHlnVCun&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F). [WATCH HOCUS POCUS 2 ON DISNEY+](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb%2Fmovies%2Fhocus-pocus-2%2F4Q5cWHlnVCun&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F) [RuPaul's Drag Race](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41318796/hocus-pocus-2-drag-race-stars-photo/) queens Ginger Minj, Kahmora Hall and Kornbread Jeté, who will portray impersonators of the witches Winifred, Mary and Sarah. [six months of Disney+ free](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.o2.co.uk%2Fextras%2Fdisney-plus&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fa41403680%2Fwatch-hocus-pocus-2-online-disney-plus%2F) for upgrading and new customers. Hocus Pocus 2 is directed by Anne Fletcher (Dumplin') and also stars Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo as the three students responsible for conjuring the witches. [Sex and the City](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41331056/and-just-like-that-season-2-script/)), Bette Midler (The First Wives Club) and Kathy Najimy ( [Sister Act](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41350952/sister-act-3-update-tyler-perry/)), as well as Doug Jones ( [Star Trek: Discovery](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41134810/star-trek-discovery-season-5-first-look-plot-details/)) who reprises his role as Billy Butcherson.

Are you excited for the Hocus Pocus sequel? The iconic film is back for another run – here's all you need to know…

Starring in the new movie as the three teens is Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo. It wouldn't be Hocus Pocus without the original line-up, so fans were thrilled to hear that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy would reprise their roles as Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson, respectively. Almost 30 years after the original release, the iconic movie is returning for a sequel and we couldn't be more excited to see the trio of witches back on our screens. Thirty years after the first story, three high school students based in Salem, Massachusetts, get together to perform a séance. And if that wasn't enough to make you want to cosy up on the sofa, there's a brand new We spot a marathon on the horizon!

Hocus Pocus 3 has yet to be confirmed but Disney may say yes to a return from the Sanderson sisters. Here's what you need to know about a potential third ...

I can't imagine what the story would be, but I love [Winifred, Sarah, Mary](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38234739/hocus-pocus-2-sanderson-sisters-first-look/), and our relationship. [Midler revealed](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41194714/hocus-pocus-3-possibility-addressed/) that: "If there was a third one, of course I'd sign on, but I don't know how. We see Gilbert's (Sam Richardson) cat bounding around the shop before coming to rest in front of a box with the label "BF #2 candle", implying a second one exists. Instead, Mary and Sarah are victims of the very spell that Winnie casts to grant herself total power. [finished with the roles](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41194714/hocus-pocus-3-possibility-addressed/): "I feel like we're done. But there are some clues to whether a third film with the Sanderson sisters is possible. I don't know that there are plans for a third one." So, will there be a Hocus Pocus 3? [Disney+](https://www.digitalspy.com/disney) and for those who were sceptical about the film, it's been receiving positive reviews from critics. I guess, never say never, but I feel grateful that we got to do it again. Well, there's no way to know for sure... Watch this space, and we'll update whenever we hear more.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are reunited in this long-awaited follow-up to the Halloween classic.

“This kind of movie hardly needs to reinvent the cauldron, representing more of a cut-and-paste job. Unfortunately, Hocus Pocus 2, which does have its fun moments, can’t compare to the original film and lacks proper character development.” OK, so the plot is basically the same and the jokes mere updates to the original. The result is a thin but satisfactory piece of entertainment.” “To be fair, it could be worse. “Like many fan favourite follow-ups, 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 main reason to watch the sequel is to be reunited with Midler, Najimy, and Parker, who reprise their roles with vigor, and thoughtful adjustments […] Hocus Pocus 2 trades deeply on that nostalgia, riding high off the goodwill of seeing those actors in their beloved witchy garb again. “Hocus Pocus 2 successfully does what many delayed sequels fail to do: capture the magic of the original, without feeling like a hackneyed facsimile meant to placate. Hocus Pocus 2 — the sequel to one of the most beloved Halloween comedies of all time — didn’t even have to be very good to get people to watch it. “Hocus Pocus 2 isn’t completely spellbinding – Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham deserves more screen time as a majestic Mother Witch, and a couple of the new teen characters are underwritten. but you have to give them a little something to work with. this long-gestating follow-up offers no surprises but still succeeds because of the same deliciously evil trio whose sister act still has pizazz and even some heart along the way.

The new sequel launches on Disney Plus almost 30 years after the original – here's who stars alongside Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.

What else has Froy Gutierrez been in? What else has Sam Richardson been in? What else has Belissa Escobedo been in? Who is Gilbert? Who is Mother Witch? What else has Sarah Jessica Parker been in? Who is Jefry? What else has Whitney Peak been in? Who is Cassie? Who is Billy? Who is Sarah? The oldest of the three Sanderson Sisters, Winnie's signature magical ability is electrokinesis, but she has extensive knowledge of dark magic thanks to her prized sentient spell book.

Hocus Pocus has returned to UK screens after almost 30 years. The orginal trio of witches, Kathy Najimy, Bette Milder, and Sarah Jessica Parker…

Hocus Pocus 2 cast Hocus Pocus 2 merchandise [UK screen](https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/21163384.disney-plus-films-tv-shows-coming-platform-september-october/) after almost 30 years and stars the [original trio of Witches. Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer How to watch Hocus Pocus 2 in the UK? Hocus Pocus 2 release date UK 2022

No movie can escape the post-credit scene. Hocus Pocus 2 is no exception. Read on as we delve into what happened to the Sanderson sisters in the Disney ...

It's an obvious set-up for a third movie and we can't rule anything out, although it would be a shame to backtrack on the emotional finale. They fight, and the three girls join forces to put protect themselves from the sisters spells. However, the girls trap the sisters in a salt circle. A relieved and joyous Winnie transforms into sparks which merge with her sisters' sparks and shine brightly before disappearing. However, the spell doesn't bring them back; instead, it sends Winnie to them. Gilbert is tasked with finding the head of Winnie's lover (aka Billy Butcher) among other things to complete the permanency spell. In the case of Hocus Pocus 2, the Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker) return to wreak havoc on Salem. Becca and Izzy escape using Angelika leaves to remove the curse, but don't notice that it's actually channeling Becca's natural witchy abilities. The candle magically sparks alight with a black flame, calling the Sisters back from the beyond. We begin Hocus Pocus 2 not in the present day but rather in the distant past, with the Sanderson sisters as young girls. [Hocus Pocus 2](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a31148112/hocus-pocus-2-disney-plus-release-date/) and [Top Gun: Maverick](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41186290/top-gun-maverick-biggest-sequel-ever/) have more in common than one might expect – which is nothing. He insists the rumours are true and that he saw them that Halloween night 29 years ago, but no one believes him.

Almost 30 years on from the iconic 1993 film, Hocus Pocus 2 brings back the three original Sanderson sisters - played, of course, by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica ...

I was laughing my a** off and the sisters really still have that chemistry together! Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve." As well as bringing back the original main cast, Hocus Pocus 2 also picks back up with a follow-up story to the 1993 original. One viewer tweeted, "Just finished watching Hocus Pocus 2. Plus, Winnie, Sarah and Mary look basically *exactly* the same in costume. Almost 30 years on from the iconic 1993 film, Hocus Pocus 2 brings back the three original Sanderson sisters - played, of course, by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi.

Hocus Pocus has returned to UK screens after almost 30 years. The orginal trio of witches, Kathy Najimy, Bette Milder, and Sarah Jessica Parker…

Hocus Pocus 2 cast Hocus Pocus 2 merchandise [UK screen](https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/21163384.disney-plus-films-tv-shows-coming-platform-september-october/) after almost 30 years and stars the [original trio of Witches. Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer How to watch Hocus Pocus 2 in the UK? Hocus Pocus 2 release date UK 2022

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

Hocus Pocus has returned to UK screens after almost 30 years. The orginal trio of witches, Kathy Najimy, Bette Milder, and Sarah Jessica Parker…

Hocus Pocus 2 cast Hocus Pocus 2 merchandise [UK screen](https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/21163384.disney-plus-films-tv-shows-coming-platform-september-october/) after almost 30 years and stars the [original trio of Witches. Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer How to watch Hocus Pocus 2 in the UK? Hocus Pocus 2 release date UK 2022

Surprisingly for a sequel based on a mediocre film, Hocus Pocus 2 is actually pretty fun.

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. 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. So it was a pleasant surprise to find that “ 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. Plus, there is the intro-to-camp factor of Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy as singing sisters bent on eating children to preserve their youth.

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.

The sequel to the 1993 original revives the three evil Sanderson sisters - played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy - as they are ...

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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.