Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D’Angelo, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It serves as the sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus and the second installment in the franchise. The film features the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones in their respective roles, while Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham join the cast as new characters.

Filming took place between October 2021 and January 2022 in Rhode Island, replacing Salem, Massachusetts. The movie premiered on Disney+ on September 30, 2022. It received mixed reviews, with praise for the cast performances, humor, and nostalgia, but criticism directed at the plot. The film was nominated in three categories at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie.

Currently, a third installment is in development, with Anne Fletcher and Jen D’Angelo returning as director and screenwriter, respectively.

Flashback to the Origins of the Sanderson Sisters

In 1653, in Salem, Massachusetts, Reverend Traske banishes 16-year-old Winifred Sanderson for “defying church authority” after refusing to marry John Pritchett. Determined to stay with her younger sisters, Mary and Sarah, Winnie leads them into a nearby forest.

There, they encounter Mother Witch, who gifts Winifred a magical book bound in human skin, with a single, living eye embedded in its cover, as a birthday present. She explicitly warns them never to cast the Magicae Maxima spell, which grants absolute power to the user. Mother Witch also teaches the sisters how to preserve their youth by stealing the essence of children.

Fueled by anger, the Sanderson sisters take their revenge on Reverend Traske by cursing his home, which is soon engulfed in flames—marking the beginning of their legendary dark magic.