Hocus Pocus 2 reportedly does not bring back Jason Marsden as Thackery Binx.
As fans of 1993's cult witchy comedy will recall, 17th-century kid Binx was cursed by the Sanderson sisters to live out the rest of his days as a black cat, with NCIS star Sean Murray playing him in human form and Marsden voicing him in cat form.
Following speculation after a black cat appeared in the sequel's new teaser trailer, Entertainment Weekly reports that the role of Binx has been recast.
Related: Did Hocus Pocus ending tease how the sisters will return?
Original actor Marsden responded to all the talk on Instagram on June 28, sharing a video captioned: "Some unnamed entertainment periodical contacted me to ask if I was in it. I’ll tell you what I told them…"
In the video, he told fans: "I'm not in it. I'm not. And that's okay. It's fine." He then added that he thought the upcoming movie looks "cool" and "sinister" and hinted there were no hard feelings, as he's excited to see the finished project.
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As for if he thinks the black cat we got a glimpse of is Binx? He asked, "Why would it be? He's already had his thing."
Another original cast member not reprising their character this time around will be Thora Birch, who played Dani Dennison in the original film.
"Everybody tried so hard. Everybody tried so hard to make that happen and it just didn't, but everybody tried so hard," the actress said last month to ComicBook.com.
"That was everybody's intention. But you know what? At the end of the day, just between you and I, I'd probably rather play Winifred in the future. I'd probably rather play Winnie."
Related: Hocus Pocus star Bette Midler reveals first look at Sanderson sisters reunited
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will all return to the Hocus Pocus universe for the sequel as sorceress siblings Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson. Doug Jones will also reprise his role as zombie Billy Butcherson.
Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo star as newcomers Becca, Cassie and Izzy, who accidentally resurrect the Sandersons in modern-day Salem.
On Instagram, Buckingham herself previously celebrated being involved with the movie, writing: "These last four months have been some of the most insane and most incredible of my whole life. I'm still in awe of the fact that I got to watch and learn from all of the people on this set. And to Whit and Bel, thank you for becoming my sisters.
"I've learned more from the two of you than you could ever know. See you soon witches. You're in for a hell of a ride."
Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+ on Friday, September 30, while the original is already streaming on there.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
Sub-editor, Digital Spy
Emily has a BA in Media with a pathway in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and an MA in Film, Television, and Screen Industries from the University of Nottingham. She has worked as a freelance journalist since she was a teenager, and now writes and sub-edits stories about celebrities, TV shows, movies, and lifestyle features.
Emily currently works for Digital Spy and Static Media and has had her work featured in various online and print outlets over the years, including Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Harper's Bazaar, The Inquisitr, Nicki Swift, Women.com, Mirror and Yahoo.
