Los Angeles Times
Hello, cruel world! ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ tease brings Sanderson sisters back for Halloween
BY NARDINE SAAD
JUNE 28, 2022 8:40 AM PT
The black-flamed candle of “Hocus Pocus” burns anew in the trailer for the 1993 film’s long-awaited sequel. And so are the bewitching Sanderson sisters.
Stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as wicked siblings Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, who are back in Salem looking for revenge — and a stage — nearly three decades after they were resurrected in the beloved live-action comedy.
The “Hocus Pocus 2″ trailer, released Tuesday by Disney+, begins with a new generation of magic-inclined teens. They’re holding a spooky Halloween ritual to reignite the Black Flame Candle, the mystical totem that returned the 17th century siblings to the present day so they could suck the life force from children and teens and become immortal.
It’s not the first time in recent memory the Sanderson sisters re-emerged. Midler, Parker and Najimy reunited around Halloween in 2020 for “In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover.” The virtual, global event replaced Midler’s annual Hulaween bash as a fundraiser for her environmental organization.
The film, directed by Anne Fletcher, also stars Sam Richardson (“The Tomorrow War”); Doug Jones (“The Shape of Water”); Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”); Whitney Peak (“Gossip Girl”); Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories”); Lilia Buckingham (“Dirt”); Froylan Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”); and Tony Hale (“Veep”).
Fletcher (“Dumplin’,” “The Proposal”) took over directing duties from Alan Shankman, who stepped away from the project because of scheduling conflicts.
“Hocus Pocus 2″ begins streaming on Sept. 30 on Disney+.
