Hocus Pocus 2 has finally begun filming on Rhode Island, and has cast Sam Richardson (Werewolves Within, The Tomorrow War) in a starring role. Disney had confirmed late last year that the long-awaited sequel had been greenlit for its Disney+ streaming service, and the film is currently set to release in autumn of next year (one would assume close to Halloween).

Fans of the 1993 original were excited to hear that the Sanderson sisters would return, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy all reprising their original roles. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced and Richardson’s role in the film is still unknown, but since Hocus Pocus 2 is still in early production, you can likely expect more information in the near future!

 

 

Rom-com queen Anne Fletcher (who you can thank for The Proposal, 27 Dresses, Step Up, and Dumplin’) is directing from a script by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics), which sees three young women accidentally summon the Sanderson sisters from the 17th Century back to present-day Salem. The trio must then figure out how to stop the diabolical, child-eating witches from wreaking their usual havoc on the world.

The synopsis sounds similar to the 2018 book sequel by AW Jantha, in which three teens – Max and Allison’s (played by Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw in the original, respectively) daughter Poppy, her friend Travis, and a girl Poppy has a crush on named Isabella – accidentally bring the Sanderson sisters back to life. However, Shaw also stated earlier this month that she hadn’t been approached about a sequel, so it’s unclear whether the novel and the sequel bear any relation.

Either way, it sounds like good, old-fashioned fun to us! Fletcher previously stated that “Now more than ever, people need to laugh. We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film,” adding that, “this is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers.”

Hocus Pocus 2 is slated for an autumn 2022 release. Until then, the 1993 classic Hocus Pocus is available to stream now on Disney+.