Hocus Pocus 2 debuts on Disney+ on September 30, 2022.
Almost 20 years ago, the original Hocus Pocus debuted to lackluster reviews and limited financial returns. Luckily, you can’t keep a bad witch. After becoming a beloved cult favorite over the years, the Sanderson sisters are back with all new mischievous plans, and they’ve brought a whole new cast with them. It may be cursed with a low-quality green screen, but it still reminds us of how those witches were able to put a spell on us in the first place.
The 2022 sequel follows Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham) as they fight to protect Salem from the series’ original witches, Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker). We also meet enthusiastic new players like the wonderful Gilbert (Sam Richardson) and see the return of old favorites like Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones). The original actors reprise their old roles as if they were well-honed witch boots, and all of the new players make admirable additions to the Hocus Pocus franchise.
Hannah Waddingham is, of course, absolutely brilliant as a witch mother. Unfortunately, it happens to be criminally underutilized.
Now that that’s been resolved, let’s talk about Hocus Pocus 2’s biggest problem: it’s not being filmed in Salem. Now a lot of movies don’t shoot on location. Even the original Hocus Pocus was shot mostly on a soundstage in Los Angeles, while cemetery shots and other locations took place in Massachusetts. The reason it’s a problem here is because it looks as if it hadn’t been filmed in Salem. It’s wonderfully nostalgic that Hocus Pocus 2 feels like the Disney Channel Original movies of yore, but the fact that it looks like the one in 2022 is pretty rough. The most glaring example is the moonlit forest backdrop that takes up much of the third act. You will know it when you see it.
Outside of some ugly green screen work (and a complete lack of cobblestones in what’s supposed to be historic downtown Salem), Hocus Pocus 2 has a fun attention to detail. For example, the town’s mayor, Traske, is known to have ties to the Salem witch trials, and so is the family! (Although their name was spelled Trask. Anyway, Bridget Bishop: Innocent.) In the meantime, there are some nice witchcraft details like the use of angelica leaves to lift curses. It’s really the root that’s used for protection, but as IGN’s resident witch, I let it slip. Finally, Waddingham’s witch mother tells a young Winnifred that “one day Salem will be ours”. And that’s the case. Today, up to 1,600 Salem residents identify as witches, and you can’t throw a stone downtown without stumbling upon a store devoted to, or celebrating, crafts.
Hocus Pocus 2 is all about coven power. Some people might call it corny or twee, but personally, I have a hard time rooting for a story about brotherhood, even though it may be guilty of a bit of fluff. Plus, who cares about the quest for ultimate power if you can’t take your sisters with you? Who will you sing magic bops with if they’re not there to support you? What are you going to do, bewitch a whole town all by yourself? !
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Legacy sequels will, of course, always be compared to their predecessors, but it’s practically apples and oranges with Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2. They both have the same female leads, but both focus on things completely different otherwise. The original was all about its non-wizard human characters like Max, Dani, and Allison. Meanwhile, while Hocus Pocus 2 gives Becca, Izzy, and Cassie their fair share of relevant screen time, this one feels like it’s more for the Sanderson sisters. Whether you think this is for cynical reasons, selling merchandise, or because of the rise of stories being told from the “bad guy” perspective is up to you. Either way, it works for the story and completes the new player story arc quite well. Plus, the focus on the Sanderson sisters means we get way more musical moments than in the first film! The main number is the show stopper, but their other songs are pretty fun.
Like the original, Hocus Pocus 2 leaves things open for another sequel. It doesn’t really seem necessary with the end of things, but it’s a nice homage to the final scene of the 1993 film. Only time will tell if this is the last we see the circle of the Sanderson Sisters and Becca but, so far, it was a pretty happy return to Salem.
Amelia is the entertainment streaming editor here at IGN. She’s also a film and TV critic and spends too much time talking about dinosaurs, superheroes, and popular horror. You can usually find her with her dog, Rogers. There may be cheeseburgers involved. Follow her on social media @ThatWitchMia