Hocus Pocus spoilers follow.
Hocus Pocus put a spell on us all when it made its debut back in 1993 and it still stands the test of time almost thirty years later.
The Disney cult classic tells the tale of the Sanderson sisters, Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), a trio of witches who are unintentionally reawakened three centuries after their execution when a candle is lit by an "airhead virgin" (that definitely went over our heads as kids) on Halloween night.
On the spookiest night of the year, the sisters set about Salem once more in an attempt consume the souls of its children to obtain eternal youth, but their plans are soon foiled by Max, Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and Max's younger sister Dani (Thora Birch).
As Halloween approaches and we prepare to watch the long-awaited sequel later this month, we came across a theory that suggests the mastermind behind the sisters' evil plans, Winnie, had another sinister scheme of her own in the works the entire time.
Reddit user ValNTine posited that Winnie had been secretly planning to kill her sisters all along, "leaving her with fewer headaches, one less curse, and hopefully more children for her own youth to flourish."
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The seed of theory begins, well, at the beginning in 1693, when the sisters lure a child (Emily) into their cottage and concoct a potion — with toil and trouble and all — that will allow them to extract the child's life force.
After adding everything from newt saliva to a dead man's toe, Winnie gathers her sisters around the cauldron and asks them to "add a bit of thine own tongue," to which all three spit into the potion.
Gathering around Emily, the sisters hold hands as Winnie states "we will share her." Together, they consume her soul and become young once again, "well, younger."
While Winnie does share the potion in their first attempt, there is already some evidence to suggest that she had no intention of sharing eternity with Mary and Sarah (though this becomes damning further along in the movie).
She slips up and says that Emily's life will her hers, but quickly corrects herself and says "I mean, ours." Even with a noose around their necks after they're discovered as witches, the sisters cast a curse upon Salem ensuring their return, but Winnie declares that "the lives of all the children of Salem shall be mine."
One commenter pointed out that some of the seemingly throwaway comments she makes throughout the film back up the theory and prove that Winnie is merely using her sisters because they are "two more able bodies on her side, capable of magic, that have the same end goal in mind."
It is true that Winnie doesn't shy away from the fact that she finds her sisters burdensome. At one point she asks: "Why was I born with such idiot sisters?" and at another she tells Max that he was "a fool to give up thy life for thy sister's." Not exactly sisterly.
However, the theory really comes to the forefront at the end of the movie when the sisters capture Dani and make the potion for a second time. Winnie is the only sister who spits into the cauldron while Mary and Sarah are occupied with the teens they have locked up.
The key point is that Mary and Sarah's spit isn't added and Winnie fails to invite them to do so, unlike at the beginning of the movie. So surely this means it would only work for Winnie and not for them if, as the spell book instructs, "a bit of thine own tongue" must be added to the brew in order for it to work for whoever is using it?
After all, Winnie is undoubtedly the smartest of the three, and since Mary and Sarah follow their sister's instructions and are easy to manipulate, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to deceive them.
In a heroic act to save his sister as Emily's brother had tried to do for her 300 years prior, Max drinks the potion and we can see his life force surrounding him. The sun may have been coming up (which would turn the witches to dust), but Winnie makes no attempt to gather her sisters and share it with them, rather she begins to consume it for herself as the sunrise draws closer.
Of course, this isn't official Disney canon and is purely speculative. But if this was Winnie's plan, then she might be able to finally follow through with it as the Sanderson sisters return to Salem once more.
Third time's a charm?
Hocus Pocus 2 will be released on Disney+ on September 30, while Hocus Pocus is available to watch now.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
