Hocus Pocus 2 Gets Official Poster

We’re just a month away from the long-awaited release of Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+, which will feature the return of the wicked Sanderson sisters, who have taken the spotlight in an all-new poster for the sequel. Fans have already gotten our first glimpses at the characters in a teaser for the upcoming film, though the posters have kept the trio to the shadows. With only a few weeks to go before their wickedness is unleashed, we might be getting even more hints of the Sanderson sisters before they make their official return on Disney+ on September 30th.

The new film is described, “It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practicing witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow’s Eve.”

Stars of the original film Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy have all returned for the adventure, along with original star Doug Jones, who plays Billy Butcherson. This time around, the Sanderson sisters are targeting Becca (Gossip Girl‘s Whitney Peak), Cassie (Dirt‘s Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (American Horror Stories‘ Belissa Escobedo). Other franchise newcomers include Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Hannah Wadingham, Juju Brener, Froy Guiterrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen.

While the main antagonists might be returning for the sequel, heroes Max (Omri Katz), Dani (Thora Birch), and Allison (Vinessa Shaw) will all be absent from this followup. Director Anne Fletcher recently recalled the difficulty of trying to find a way to honor them while also honoring their legacy, which resulted in the ultimate omission from the adventure.

“We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you’re like, how do we make this work?” Fletcher explained to Entertainment Weekly. “It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You’re trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo.”

Fletcher added, “People would say, ‘They could be in the background!’ and I’m like, really? You’re going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You’re not going to be satisfied, you’re going to be angry.”

Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+ on September 30th.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!