After just shy of 30 years, the Sanderson sisters are coming back to screens next fall for Hocus Pocus 2, a follow-up to the enduring Halloween favorite. 1993’s Hocus Pocus starred Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as Winifred, Mary and Sarah, three resurrected witches who sought to feast on the souls of children to stay young. The good news is the trio is set to reprise their roles in the sequel, which is just about to start production.
The first photos from the set in Lincoln, Rhode Island, have now emerged online, revealing construction on what will become a 1600s-style town. This is likely a recreation of the old-timey Salem, which was previously revisited in the opening of the first film, suggesting that the sequel could contain more flashbacks to the Sandersons’ origins.
As revealed in a town council meeting (via MovieWeb), this set is due to take 10 days to fully construct but will only be used for just two days of filming before it will be destroyed in a “controlled fire”. Does this mean the witches burn the place down in the movie?
Whatever the case, production will then remain in Rhode Island for the duration of the shoot, with the town doubling up for present-day Salem, Massachusetts. Hopefully, we might get a glimpse of Midler and co. back in costume in the near future now that filming is about to begin. Likewise, that means we should get some further casting news pretty soon, as to date, no other cast members have been confirmed, though Thora Birch is expected to return as Dani Dennison, her character from the original.
Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses, The Proposal) is directing this follow-up, taking over from Adam Shankman who was attached to the project until he instead elected to helm Enchanted sequel Disenchanted, which just shot in Ireland over the summer. Much like Disenchanted, Hocus Pocus 2 is due to release exclusively on Disney Plus in 2022.