The original cast of 1993's Hocus Pocus have shared their thoughts on the cult-classic's long-awaited sequel.
While Hocus Pocus 2 brought back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as witchy trio Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson, all the other OG characters (with the exception of Doug Jones' Billy Butcherson) didn't reprise their roles.
Some of those OGs included Vinessa Shaw, Omri Katz and Jason Marsden, all of whom had (mostly) positive things to say about the second instalment.
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Marsden, who voiced Thackery Binx in cat form, told Entertainment Weekly: "I thought it was fun, but severe under-use of Hannah Waddingham [as the Sanderson Sisters' coven mother]. She was outstanding. I was hoping to see lots more of her."
Shaw, who played Allison, added: "I saw it, and I felt everyone salivating over those ladies again. It satiated my wanting to see them, and I love the new actors that are involved. I especially thought the backstory girls playing the witches as children were hilarious. I enjoyed it. It was fun.
Katz played Max in the original film, aka the "airhead virgin" who lit the black flame, and his review of the film was slightly more mixed.
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"I remember we were at a convention the weekend it came out," he explained. "As I was going to sleep, I was like, 'I'll watch it'. I think I got about 30 minutes in, and I found some joy in the beginning with the origin part, and then something about it, I just wasn't feeling it."
However, he was won over in the end, adding: "Anyway, I fell asleep, and when I got back to LA, I watched the rest of it, and then I started to actually enjoy it, and I saw the fun in it. I think it would've been more fun if we were involved, but it was still very enjoyable."
Threequel, anyone?
Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are available to watch now on Disney+.
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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.
