Image source: Everett Collection
If you’re about to watch “Hocus Pocus 2,” Hannah Waddingham’s cameo is more than enough reason to slam that “play” button. The British Emmy winner stars in the Disney sequel as Mother Witch, a silver-haired witch who gives the Sanderson sisters their spellbook. Despite his central role in the origin story of the villains of the trio – I mean, who would they be without Bookie? – Waddingham’s Witch Mother has criminally limited screen time ending at less than five minutes. (She appears for about three minutes and 24 seconds, for anyone considering writing a formal complaint letter.)
Performance length worries aside, let’s unbox and enjoy Waddingham’s one-stage masterpiece, shall we? When a young Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson (portrayed by Taylor Paige Henderson, Juju Journey Brener, and Nina Kitchen, respectively) are fleeing Salem, MA, toward Forbidden Woods, they encounter a red-and-black-feathered bird that swoops down from a tree branch and transforms into Mother Witch. With shining eyes, curly hair and silver gems, she is a fascinating sight to behold in the otherwise drab forest.
After sniffing the girls and realizing they’re different from the kids she usually snacks on, Mother Witch drops her menacing facade and conjures up the leather spellbook with a nonchalant shoulder bump. “Happy 16th birthday, child,” she said to Winnie as she handed him the gift, clearly adding, “I’m a witch, I know things.” That last line isn’t the only GIF-worthy statement Mother Witch utters during her short time on screen; his explanation for eating children is equally iconic:
Image source: Disney via Giphy
Mother Witch disappears as quickly as she arrives, leaving behind only a flurry of fallen leaves, never to appear in the film again. I thought she might come back towards the end when Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham) battle the Sanderson sisters in the woods, but alas, she’s nowhere to be found*. (*probably from eating children to maintain its youthful appearance)
Perhaps the most criminal part of the short-lived Mother Witch cameo is the fact that it doesn’t include a musical number. The Sanderson sisters sing not once but twice (three times if you count their end-credits performance!) during the film, but Waddingham’s powerful voice takes a back seat. A seasoned stage star who graced the stage of several West End and Broadway productions, Waddingham deserved to show film audiences her singing skills, just as she occasionally does on Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso.”
On the plus side, however, Mother Witch presents one of the many nostalgic Easter eggs hidden in “Hocus Pocus 2.” As many viewers were quick to observe on social media, her costume – a black cape trimmed with fringe layered over a blood-red dress – bears a striking resemblance to the witch costume that Dani Dennison (Thora Birch) wears. on Halloween in the original “Hocus Pocus.” It’s unclear if this was a deliberate decision on the part of the costume designer, but either way, the similarities are pretty hard to ignore.
Image source: Disney/Everett Collection
“Hocus Pocus 2” is still an entertaining watch, even despite Waddingham’s lack of screen time – it’s campy, nostalgic and exactly what the doctor ordered to put me in the fall spirit – but this would have been even better if Mother Witch and her bad-b*tch energy played a bigger part. If a third Hocus Pocus movie does come to fruition, consider this my personal plea to Disney for more Witch Mother.