‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Release Date Announced, First Footage Debuts
The first footage from this year’s highly anticipated Hocus Pocus 2 was unveiled today during Disney’s upfronts presentation previewing upcoming premieres coming to Disney+, officially announcing the September 30 release date of the sequel.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the rough-cut footage showed two young girls lighting the Black Flame Candle, which summons the Sanderson Sisters witches, as Bette Midler’s Winnifred Sanderson squeals, “Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we’re back!”
The witches then reportedly launch into a musical number — a cover of Elton John’s “The Bitch Is Back” — while Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) and various new characters are also featured in the clip.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy return to reprise their roles as Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively, witches from the 1600s resurrected in modern day Salem, Mass.
The cast also includes Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Hannah Waddingham, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Doug Jones also reprising his legacy character, Billy Butcherson, from the original film. RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Ginger Minj, Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté, and Kahmora Hall will play drag versions of Winifred, Mary, and Sarah, respectively, in a scene that takes place at a drag show attended by the trio of Sanderson sisters.
Anne Fletcher (The Guilt Trip, 27 Dresses) directs the sequel, produced by Lynn Leshem and executive produced by Adam Shankman, from a script by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics).
An early synopsis for the sequel explains: Three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world.
Hocus Pocus 2 will premiere on Friday, September 30 on Disney+.
Read more Hocus Pocus 2 news here.
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