Almost all kids who grew up watching Disney Channel or who remember the 31 Nights of Halloween specials have seen Hocus Pocus. Over the past 29 years, the movie has grown a cult following. It has become so popular because it is a family-friendly ‘scary movie.’ The movie is a tradition for many to watch every Halloween season. Every October everyone has their movies that they watch, some watch slashers but I am too much of a scaredy cat for that, so I watch Hocus Pocus.
The original movie
The original film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the witchy Sanderson sisters. It was released 29 years ago in 1993. It follows a non-believer teenage boy who’s just moved to Salem, Massachusetts from California. Trying to impress a girl he lights a cursed candle and accidentally revives three evil witches from the 17thcentury. The original movie was directed by Kenny Ortega known for High School Musical. It didn’t do very well at the box office when it was originally released but grew a large following in the years post-release. It had a slow but exponential growth with parents showing it to their kids and those kids growing up then showing it to their kids. The movie’s campy tone grew to be beloved through numerous airings every year on ABC and Disney Channel. The sequel has been in production for many years but did not finally get the green light from Disney until 2020.
The New Sequel
The official synopsis for the sequel says, “It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. 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 Hallows Eve.” According to Variety, the main protagonists of the original film, Max and Allison, do not appear in the movie. The screenwriter for the film, Jen D’Angelo told Variety that they tried to bring back as much of the original cast as possible and would love for the two to cameo in a future movie. Billy Butcherson, the zombie sidekick from the first film returns, still played by Doug Jones. The black cat Binx that carried the soul of 17th-century boy Thackery will not be featured in the sequel, but the screenwriter assured fans that there will still be a black cat.
The film has received good reviews from critics so far. New York Times writer Claire Shaffer said of the movie, “it manages to capture the same hokey magic of the original while creatively updating its humor.” It sounds like it’ll be a movie that appreciates the nostalgia people have for the original, while also bringing something new to the table.
Hocus Pocus 2 premiered Sept. 30 on Disney Plus. Add it to your October watchlist and the Sanderson Sisters will hopefully bring us a spooky new part of an annual Halloween tradition.
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