Sistaaahs! It's here!
The long-awaited sequel to Disney's 1993 cult-classic Hocus Pocus is finally here, just in time for the spookiest month of the year.
While the original tale brought the Sanderson sister's back to Salem in 1993, the sequel follows three young women who accidentally reawaken them in a modern-day Salem, where they must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world.
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Thankfully, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are back to put a spell on us all by reprising their roles as eccentric sisters Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson, respectively.
With that being said, fans may have noticed that most of the other OG characters (with the exception of Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson) didn't make a return – and we're here to tell you exactly why.
Thora Birch (Dani)
Sadly, Thora Birch, who gave us some iconic lines like: "You're the ugliest thing that ever lived and you know it!", didn't reprise her role as Dani Dennison.
Although the actress was asked to come back, she had to decline the offer due to scheduling conflicts.
"Everybody tried so hard. Everybody tried so hard to make that happen and it just didn't, but everybody tried so hard," she later told ComicBook.com.
Birch recently admitted that she was "dismayed" she couldn't feature in the sequel, revealing that, if it weren't for the conflicts, she was "definitely going to be there on set with the girls."
That said, she continued: "I can’t wait to see what they do with it. I know they’re taking a completely different, fresh approach, so I’m excited."
At the time of production, Birch was shooting Netflix's Addams Family spin-off Wednesday, though she reportedly left the project due to personal reasons after filming the majority of her scenes.
Omri Katz (Max)
Max – aka the "airhead virgin" who lit the black flame which brought the witchy trio back to life – didn't come back for round two either.
Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Omri Katz, among some other OG characters, would not be returning for the sequel due the logistics of fitting them all in with the new story they had planned.
"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?" she said.
"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.
"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."
Though Katz admitted he would have "loved" to be a part of the sequel, he has no hardships and encourages fans to watch it.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actor said: "People have been asking, and unfortunately, I'm not in it. I would have loved to be involved.
"I feel bad for the original fan base saying we aren't because I'm sure they wanted to see us reprise our roles... I think [the sequel will] be good for everyone who loved the original! I hope fans will go see it. I know I will."
Vinessa Shaw (Allison)
Three is clearly not the magic number, since Vinessa Shaw's Allison, who was crucial in helping Dani and Max put an end to the sisters, didn't make an appearance either.
This is again attributed to Fletcher's reasoning as mentioned above.
At the end of Hocus Pocus, the spell book sets up the movie for a sequel when it opens it eye, which it only seems to do in the presence of a witch. A previous fan theory posited that the witch it was responding to was Allison, who's confirmed in the film to be a descendent of witches.
Since the book sequel features Allison and Max's daughter Poppy, a third movie could mean that we see both Allison and Max again as their daughter – be it accidentally or purposefully – summons the sisters once more. That is, if a third film is made and it draws any ideas from the book.
Larry Bagby (Ice)
Larry Bagby portrayed Ice, one half of the bullying duo who gave new kid Max a hard time and stole his shoes. We don't condone kidnapping children or consuming their souls, but seeing him and Jay caged up in the Sanderson cottage was satisfying, to say the least.
But, alas, they didn't make a cameo either.
"Unfortunately, I am not a part of it," Bagby said, admitting that his manager had submitted him for a small role as the owner of the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe.
"I never got an audition for that," he continued. "But that would've been clever – even me just playing a cop or something.
As for how Bagby imagined Ice and Jay in 2022, he floated the idea of them still being "authoritative, mean, bully bad guys".
"It would've been fun to have him as a gym teacher or a local cop in the area – or Tobias and I going out to the schools, maybe our kids are now bullies or being bullied, and we're having to come back and pick on the kids in high school again because our kids are getting bullied," he added.
Threequel, anyone?
Tobias Jelinek (Jay)
In a separate statement, Tobias Jelinek confirmed his character's absence. "Jay and Ice will not be in Hocus Pocus 2," he said.
Still, there's no hard feelings, as the pair both appeared in the 25-year anniversary special directed by Kenny Ortega, who also directed the original movie.
"[That] was the first time the original producers and all the kids were there," Tobias Jelinek said. "Even though we're not in Hocus Pocus 2, it felt like we got to have our reunion on TV."
Sean Murray (Thackery Binx)
"Thackeryyy Binnnxx!"
As fans of the witchy comedy will recall, 17th-century teen Thackery was cursed by the Sanderson sisters to live out the rest of his days as a black cat.
While Jason Marsden voiced him in cat form, Murray played him in human form at the beginning and end of the movie.
Speaking back in 2014 about whether he'd return for a sequel, the NCIS star said that'd he'd be up for the opportunity if it presented itself.
"If they wanted me to be involved with it in some sort of way, I would probably say yes," he told E! News, adding: "Hocus Pocus has a great following and was a great part of when I was a kid."
Although it's not been confirmed why Murray didn't return, it's probably again down to the logistics of having all the original characters featuring in the film.
Also, the end of Hocus Pocus saw Thackery return to his ghostly human form and finally reunite with his sister Emily after spending 300 years as a cat, thus concluding his story.
Jason Marsden (Cat Thackery Binx)
Following speculation after a black cat appeared in the sequel's teaser trailer, Entertainment Weekly reported that Jason Marsden would not be back to voice the feline.
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.
As for if he thinks the black cat in the trailer is Binx? He said: "Why would it be? He's already had his thing."
Hocus Pocus 2 is available to watch now on Disney+, 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.
