SALEM, Mass. — After nearly 30 years, the Sanderson sisters are back – and they’re ready to run amuck this upcoming Halloween season.
That’s right! Hocus Pocus 2 officially premieres on Disney+ later this year, and it was just announced Tuesday night that the hotly anticipated sequel will finally be unleashed on Sept. 30.
Multiple outlets confirm the release date was revealed as Disney hosted their annual upfronts, which is an event in which the company provides a preview of their upcoming lineup.
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Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are all back to reprise their roles as the iconic witches alongside Doug Jones who's returning as fan-favorite zombie Billy Butcherson.
But that’s not all…
Entertainment Weekly is also reporting that the film’s first-seen footage was exclusively shown during the Tuesday event. Here’s how they describe the footage, which has not been publicly released:
The rough-cut footage showed two young girls lighting the Black Flame Candle, which summons the central witches as Midler squeals, "Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we're back!"
They then launch into a musical number — a cover of Elton John's "The Bitch Is Back" — while Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) and a still-unnamed character played by Sam Richardson also appear. Tony Hale, who plays the mayor of Salem, is also featured in the clip.
Few details have been confirmed about the plot of Hocus Pocus 2, but here’s a brief synopsis from IMDB: "Three young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world."
Disney+ previously shared a photo of Najimy, Midler and Parker in costume on the set of the sequel shortly after filming started late last year.
Although an official trailer has not yet been released, a few behind-the-scenes clips have popped up on YouTube as some people shared video from the set last year. You can see some of those moments throughout the videos below...
Hocus Pocus has developed a rabid fan base since its release in 1993, becoming one of Halloween’s most beloved child-friendly cult classics.
The original has also become a fall-season staple with marathon viewings frequently featured during Freeform’s annual 31 Nights of Halloween.
