Disney’s cult classic Halloween movie is getting a sequel, and Hocus Pocus received middling reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office. However, the spooky comedy has grown in popularity over the years, in large part due to its annual TV airings. In 2018, Hocus Pocus’ 25th anniversary was celebrated with a reunion special, filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
The beloved Disney movie is set in Salem, Massachusetts, and follows teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) and his younger sister, Dani (Thora Birch). On Halloween night, a skeptical Max tries to impress classmate Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and accidentally resurrects the Sanderson sisters, who were executed for witchcraft in 1693. The villainous Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) must suck the life out of a child to complete their reawakening before sunrise. Although the Sanderson sisters were seemingly killed, the trio of witches will return in 2022's Hocus Pocus 2, premiering on Disney+.
The original Hocus Pocus emphasized comedy over scares, but screenwriter Mick Garris revealed his first draft was considerably darker. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly [via Yahoo], Garris stated the film originally focused on 12-year-olds, which would have made the protagonists' ordeal “more explicitly frightening.” For Hocus Pocus 2 to differentiate itself from the original and overcome apprehension about an unnecessary sequel, the solution is to honor the original's intentions by going darker. The movie should retain its sense of humor, but repeating the same jokes would cheapen the characters.
Hocus Pocus 2 must recapture the whimsical, spooky atmosphere of Halloween that made the original Hocus Pocus so popular. However, it also needs to prove why a perfectly self-contained story warrants a sequel, especially one releasing almost 30 years later. It can't simply rely on nostalgia, which already masks some of the first movie's flaws. Hocus Pocus has a very simple narrative that's massively ed by the charmingly retro effects and terrific enthusiasm radiating from the Sanderson actors. The same gimmicks might not work a second time, and a sequel boasting even more comedy would detract from the witches' ability to appear threatening. 1993's Hocus Pocus already covered the fish-out-of-water culture clash of Winifred, Sarah, and Mary adjusting to the modern age. They shouldn't be fooled by the same tricks again, and the world isn't drastically different today. Instead, the sequel returning to the darkness of the original's first draft can improve upon its villains.
Disney has gone dark in the past, with Salem - where Hocus Pocus was partly filmed - never considering they could be bested by children. Surely, they won't display the same attitude so many years later.
The Sanderson sisters shouldn't lose their macabre sense of humor but rather combine it with their vengeance to terrify a new generation of children. The witches were strangely likable for their musings on modern life and colorful personalities but being too relatable hinders their villainy. Hocus Pocus 2 can remind the world of the sisters' deadliness by honoring the scary first draft Garris intended to film.
