July 1993 marked the release of Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. The film introduces a trio of witches named Sanderson: Winnie, Sarah, and Mary, executed in 1693 for murdering two children. Determined to return, the witches cast a spell and, in 1993, they were brought back to Salem by a teenager’s mistake. As popular as this film is today, having turned into a Halloween classic, it is hard to believe that, upon its release, Hocus Pocus was an absolute box office flop. Still, over the years, it conquered the audience’s hearts and became a cult movie.
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In September 2022, almost 30 years after this film, Hocus Pocus 2 was released on Disney+, a much awaited sequel featuring the witches’ new adventure, this time helmed by Anne Fletcher. Midler, Parker, Najimy, and Doug Jones reprised their roles, and Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham were also added to the cast. When so many years go by between a film and its sequel, particularly when it comes to such popular productions, expectations are sky-high, and it is very hard to live up to them. But Hocus Pocus 2 has proven that not all sequels are cursed, and it was met with rave reviews. Blending the best features from the original film with some new ones, the filmmakers came up with the winning formula to deliver a brand new Halloween favorite. Here’s how Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 compare.
Wicked Witches But Gullible as Never Before
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In 1993, Hocus Pocus presented Winnie, Sarah, and Mary, three sisters and witches who, even though they seemed outlandish and funny, stood out for their extreme wickedness and their urge to murder children to stay young, regardless of anything else. Any child would fear for his or her life at the mere sight of them. Their ruthlessness with Emily and Thackery Binx was ultimately what led them to their deaths, kicking off the first movie.
Hocus Pocus 2 adds some vital information to understand the nature of these witches: in 1653, while they were still young girls, Winnie was banished from Salem by Reverend Traske (Hale). As neither she nor her sisters wanted to part ways, they ran away to the forbidden forest, where they met Mother Witch (Waddingham) and discovered their powers. This tragic situation they faced as children was most likely the cornerstone of their evil and resentful characters as adults. More significantly, this situation also forced them to raise themselves on their own, which explains their childish and gullible personality.
Furthermore, in Hocus Pocus 2, they were brought back to life over 300 years after being killed by hanging and were confronted with a completely different world, so in this new film, the sisters’ main trait is their gullibility, which at times makes them seem foolish and non-threatening. Indeed, they were tricked over and over again by Becca (Peak) and Izzy (Escobedo), to the point that they ate skin care products, thinking they were actually made of children.
A New Coven is Born
In addition to explaining the emergence of the Sanderson Sisters, the most powerful coven on earth, Hocus Pocus 2 features a new troupe of witches destined to take Winnie, Mary and Sarah’s places: Becca, Izzy and Cassie. These teenage girls share a fascination for magic, and each year, they perform a ritual together. Of course, they never imagined that their friendly tradition would turn into so much more than that. When Becca and Izzy accidentally brought the Sanderson Sisters back to life using the Black Flame Candle Gilbert (Richardson) gave them, these two friends were faced with an unfortunate situation. Yet, they were not aware of one major fact: Becca happens to be a witch, and her magic is starting to develop, which becomes a key tool to defeat the powerful coven. Finally, after conjuring the Magicae Maxima spell, Winnie loses her sisters, who are the people she values the most. Desperate, she turns to Becca for help, to whom she finally ends up entrusting the spell book and granting her blessing. And so, a brand new coven starts to make its way into the world.
Salem: Diversity and a Renewed Fascination for Witches
When the sequel to a film comes out so many years after the original, filmmakers need to take into consideration all the aspects that have changed over time, from all perspectives. This was certainly kept in mind in Hocus Pocus 2, particularly with regard to the diversity of its cast. On top of that, the movie also featured a guest appearance from three RuPaul’s Drag Race queens: Ginger Minj, Kornbread, and Kahmora Hall as the Sanderson Sisters in a Halloween costume contest.
The other big difference between Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 is how the Salem townspeople’s opinion of witches shifted over the years. In the first movie, in both 1693 and 1993, Winnie and her sisters were loathed by all and known for their evil deeds. By 2022, however, things are completely different: not only is witchcraft fully accepted in town, with the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe established where the sisters used to live, but the witches are also loved by the citizens, in spite of their shady past.
The Sandersons Take Over the Stage
It’s perfectly clear that, despite being the main antagonists of the story, Winnie, Sarah, and Mary manage to steal the show with their hilarious personalities. One common element between the original film and its sequel are the fantastic musical numbers performed by the Sanderson Sisters. These witches are always looking for the stage, pulling off their own versions of songs that are even better than the originals. One of the most iconic scenes in Hocus Pocus involves the sisters interrupting a Halloween party to bewitch the grown-ups of Salem while singing “I Put a Spell On You.” In Hocus Pocus 2, this scenario is played out once again, but this time the chosen song is “One Way or Another,” through which they cast a spell on the citizens to help them find Salem’s Mayor.
Billy Butcherson’s Vindication
Doug Jones’ return as Billy was a surprise for both the actor and the audience. While this zombie, doomed by Winnie Sanderson, proved to be very popular with the audience from the get-go, he did not play a major role in Hocus Pocus. That changed drastically in Hocus Pocus 2: not only did we get a glimpse into Billy Butcherson’s past as a young boy, but we also found out that much of what we knew about him wasn’t entirely true. Originally, it was thought that Billy had cheated on Winnie with Sarah, and that was the reason why she poisoned him. But when this zombie came back to life and realized that this rumor was spreading around Salem, he dispelled it completely, stating that all he shared with Winnie was a kiss, and that her feelings for him were not reciprocated.
