Jackson Fanelli February 2nd, 2022 - 1:41 PM
Variety has reported on an Instagram post that suggests the release window of Hocus Pocus 2. It reads “SISTAAAAAHHHHSSS! Aaaaand that’s a WRAP!!! #Hocuspocus2. Congratulations to the amazing team… and the WHOOOOLLLEEEE cast and crew!!! coming to you #Halloween #2022 on @DisneyPlus.” This post confirms that the film will release around Halloween of this year. While it seems like a Halloween release date would be a no-brainer for a film about witches, the original film was released in July.
Hocus Pocus was first released on July 16, 1993. The central characters of the film are its iconic villains, the Sanderson sisters. Winifred, played by Bette Middler, leads her sisters Sarah, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mary, played by Kathy Najimy in a Halloween caper where they try to track down the children of Salem, Massachusetts in order to absorb their youth. Much of the film’s comedy is based on these demonic witches from the year 1693 interacting with modern people.
Hocus Pocus 2 will feature the Sanderson sisters once again. From what is known about the film so far it seems the sequel will follow a similar formula to the original. Both the original and its sequel involve the Sanderson sisters being accidentally summoned by a naive youth. Hocus Pocus 2 will be directed by Anne Fletcher, who also directed Step Up and The Proposal. Fletcher also worked as a choreographer for the live-action Scooby-Doo films, which are thematically similar to Hocus Pocus.
With a 29-year gap between the first film and its sequel, the Hocus Pocus franchise will be introduced to a new generation around Halloween 2022.
