Disney has announced eleven new cast members for Hocus Pocus 2 – the upcoming fantasy sequel starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
Hocus Pocus 2 announced the new cast members via Twitter, including Arrested Development star Tony Hale as well as Ted Lasso favourite, Hannah Waddingham.
The black flame candle is alight to the Sanderson sisters’ delight.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, & Kathy Najimy shall soon return.
Joined by new faces which you soon will learn.See more of the spellbinding cast in the next tweet.
Enjoy this #Hallowstream treat.👇 pic.twitter.com/DiBAfCHiWX— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 31, 2021
Additional cast members include Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl), Lilia Buckingham (Crown Lake), Belissa Escobedo (Don’t Look Deeper), Sam Richardson (The Tomorrow War), Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf), Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen.
Alongside original stars, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, Hocus Pocus actor Doug Jones will also return. However, it’s unclear whether he will reprise the role of the undead Billy Butcherson.
Hocus Pocus 2 is a sequel to the 1993 family classic, Hocus Pocus, and was first announced by Disney back in 2019. Midler, Parker, and Najimy were not confirmed to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters until earlier this year.
A brief synopsis explains that Hocus Pocus 2 will be about three young women who accidentally revive the Sanderson sisters in modern-day Salem – the site of the original witch trials. The sisters remain hungry for children and must be stopped before they wreak havoc up the unsuspecting town.
The original Hocus Pocus, released in 1993, follows a similar story – seeing the resurrected Sanderson sisters cause trouble for the townsfolk of Salem.
According to Variety, director Anne Fletcher has now taken over the project after her frequent collaborator Adam Shankman was forced to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. Fletcher’s previous work includes 27 Dresses and The Proposal as well as acting as choreographer for movies like Step Up and Hairspray.
Hocus Pocus 2 will premiere on Disney Plus sometime in Fall 2022.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.