Hocus Pocus 2 is now streaming on Disney+ and it brings back all the campy fun, nostalgia, and Easter eggs from the original Hocus Pocus. During the Hocus Pocus 2 press junket, Bette Midler said she loves a good franchise, so hopefully more Hocus Pocus movies will be coming!
Billy is Back
So not only are the Sanderson Sisters back (Bettle Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker), but fan favorite zombie, Billy Butcherson, is back, too! Played by Doug Jones, Billy is back to set the record straight. When asked what makes him a fan favorite, he answered, “Probably because I was a zombie before zombies were cool.” And Billy is very cool in Hocus Pocus 2!
Hocus Pocus 2 Easter Eggs and Connections to the First Film
As far the connection from Hocus Pocus to Hocus Pocus 2, Director Anne Fletcher said, “There was a lot to pull from the first movie.”
Gilbert’s “Old Salem Magic Shoppe” is their old cottage. In his shop, he has Book and a black cat named Cobweb, which is reminiscent of Binx.
Also, the original costumes for The Sanderson Sisters were not useable, so they had to start from scratch. Fletcher said, “The symbols on all three of the witches outfits, especially Bette’s, mean something…it’s sort of now modern-day Wicca. But in the 1600s, that version of witchcraft which was tethered to the earth, the ocean, the stars, it’s all tied together. And it’s all on her cloak as well as the bird which I won’t say anymore. But we do understand who the bird is. It’s all reflected in Winifred’s cloak and in Mary’s rings.”
The three teenage girls also have these symbols as well as each witch’s color stone in their matching necklace.
Hannah Waddingham, who plays the Mother Witch, has a lot of the iconography of the movie. She gives the witches their identity, and their powers.
The black flame candle also returns to Hocus Pocus 2 and is the reason the witches are able to return.
These were just some of the Easter Eggs in Hocus Pocus 2 discussed in the press junket, but you can find more throwbacks here.
Ultimately, Hocus Pocus 2 focuses on the storytelling. These characters mean a lot to so many people. Bette Midler said, “I think these three characters are really in a strange and odd way, quite positive for women. First of all, they’re very funny, which women are not allowed to be are not supposed to be. And they’re intensely loyal to each other, even though their relationships are… it’s a very broad range of emotions that they live through.”
Their bonds are strong, and so is their sisterhood, even though they are imperfect. Watch Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+ now!
