Hocus Pocus 2 Has Begun Production With Original Cast Members Back To Wreak Witchy Havoc

It looks like Disney+ has one more Halloween trick up their sleeve. Yesterday the streamer revealed a whole gaggle of new and returning cast members for "Hocus Pocus 2," including that modern-day man of a thousand faces Doug Jones ("Star Trek: Discovery," "The Shape of Water") coming back as the late Billy Butcherson. Today they have announced that lensing on the long-awaited sequel has begun in Rhode Island — subbing for Massachusetts — under the direction of Anne Fletcher ("Dumplin,'" "The Proposal") from a screenplay by Jen D'Angelo ("Workaholics") for a fall 2022 streaming debut.

Fletcher seems beyond excited to resurrect the Sanderson sisters once again:

"I am beyond thrilled to be involved in the sequel to a film that is as beloved as 'Hocus Pocus,'" says director Anne Fletcher. "Fans around the world have embraced these characters and have made this film a Halloween tradition whose popularity continues to grow, and how lucky am I to be back at Disney with these three extraordinarily talented ladies in the iconic roles they created, as well as our fabulous new additions to the cast?"

Talk of a sequel to director Kenny Ortega's original 1993 "Hocus Pocus" have been in the air since 2014, with fan demand and the surprising continued nostalgia (and box office success during COVID-19) for the first film playing a big part in getting the new film greenlit. Bette Midler ("The First Wives Club," "Beaches"), Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City," "Divorce"), and Kathy Najimy ("Sister Act," "Younger") will return as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, respectively.

Besides the title trio and Jones, other cast members for "Hocus Pocus 2" include Whitney Peak ("Gossip Girl," "Molly's Game") as Becca, Lilia Buckingham ("Dirt," "Crown Lake") as Cassie, and Belissa Escobedo ("American Horror Stories," "The Baker and the Beauty") as Izzy, the three young women living in present-day Salem who bring about the wrath of the three witches. Also along for the spooky fun are Emmy-winner Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso," "Game of Thrones"), Tony Hale ("Veep," "Arrested Development"), Sam Richardson ("The Tomorrow War," "Good Boys"), Juju Brener ("Vanquish"), Froy Gutierrez ("Teen Wolf"), Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen.

Here is the official synopsis:

It's been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practicing witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow's Eve.