Hocus Pocus 2 Reveals First Look at Billy Butcherson Return

The upcoming Hocus Pocus 2 won’t only feature the return of the treacherous Sanderson sisters, but will also see their former henchman Billy Butcherson rising out of the grave, once again played by Doug Jones. While Billy wasn’t in the first teaser for the new film, Entertainment Weekly has shared the first official look at Billy, and given that he’s been dead for hundreds of years, he looks almost identical to how he last looked when he eventually turned on Winifred Sanderson, with the new film set to showcase him as a hero more than a threat. Check out the new look at Billy Butcherson below before Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+ on September 30th.

“It does something to your soul, it’s so surreal, it’s so mind-blowing,” director Anne Fletcher told the outlet about Billy’s return. “He’s in a moment of betrayal [in the scene], so you’re looking at this beloved character in such a way who’s been hurt, and it blows your socks off. I’ll never forget that.”

When Billy was resurrected in the first film, his mouth was sewn shut, though in the final scenes, he managed to cut those threads to finally confront Winifred for what she had done, setting the stage for him to be a possible hero in the new sequel.

The events of the first film ultimately allow Jones more opportunity to breathe life into Billy for this sequel, bringing with it some exciting changes to the character.

“I was really happy that Billy comes out of the grave talking,” Jones shared. “It is seamless between the first movie and the second, that’s the first thing I felt. It keeps the pureness and nostalgia alive and well for those who grew up with the first movie, and for any new fans we’re gathering now will be excited about modernization for the current time we’re in.”

He added, “Billy came back to me immediately, it was frightening how he’s been alive while I’ve been playing other characters all these years, but, Billy’s like, ‘I wanted my chance again.’”

Given that Billy has been buried for nearly 30 years, his appearance on-screen is quite similar to how he looked in the original Hocus Pocus, with the makeup team even resurrecting a piece of the film’s history for Billy’s look.

“He was pretty decrepit to start with, and I come out of the grave looking exactly like two minutes have passed,” Jones shared. “It was the exact same wig, they had it on a dummy on display for 29 years, they put it back on my head in the same style, it didn’t even need a touch-up. The costume was rebuilt to be the same as the first one, so I looked exactly the same,” 

He continued, “It was so nostalgic for me to look in the mirror and go, ‘You’re 30-nothing years old again.”

Hocus Pocus 2 hits Disney+ on September 30th.

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