After the original Hocus Pocus came out in 1993, fans of the film have been waiting patiently (or perhaps not so patiently) for a sequel to be made. And while we’ve had a couple of false starts in terms of Hocus Pocus 2 being announced and then canceled, it looks like things are moving forward again! The cast is back together again – Will Jeffries as Max Dennison, Vinessa Shaw as Allison, Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson and Omri Katz as Michael – and director Kenny Ortega has also signed on for the sequel. Mary Sanderson is Back in Hocus Pocus 2!
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The Cast
In addition to returning cast members Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Omri Katz, new additions to the cast include Adam Scott as Max Dennison; Salem: Adria Arjona; Allison: Vinessa Shaw; Allyson: Kylie Shields; and a role yet to be announced. The sequel will also have an entirely new writing team with David Kirschner producing alongside Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, who said of bringing back his favorite witches: I am thrilled to once again collaborate with my good friends and long-time partners at Disney, particularly our executives at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, on a story that continues Walt Disney’s legacy of giving audiences what they love.
The Plot
We don’t know a ton about Hocus Pocus 2 yet, but it seems like Bill Condon has decided to re-cast Mary Sanderson—for one of three reasons: 1) Winifred and Sarah (Thora Birch and Sarah Jessica Parker) are really their cousins, not sisters; so they have no sisters; or 2) Mary’s death will play a part in the story; or 3) Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t want to come back. In any case, we think Nina Kitchen looks promising as Mary…and Kathy Najimy might be playing both Mary and her daughter—which might mean that Kathy Najimy was more than just an actress when she played Mary before.
Nina Kitchen Play as young Mary Sanderson
Juju Brene, a young actress (age 8), was originally cast for Mary Sanderson. Nina Kitchen, an older sister of Juju’s agent, was cast at the last minute after Kelle Ripley (the original Mary) became unavailable. While she had much experience with TV commercials and print ads by that point, Nina was unfamiliar with motion pictures and found it challenging to act in front of a camera. With both actors being available just four days before filming began, production chose to give Juju two days to be coached by Nina on set; during those two days she primarily interacted with her aunt witchy-child versions of Sarah and Winifred while mouthing off behind their backs.
The Poll
The sequel to 1993’s Hocus Pocus isn’t a reality yet, but there are a few updates on its status. Early last year, it was announced that Rise of the Guardians producer David Kirschner and screenwriter Max Saunders were working on a script for a sequel to Disney’s Halloween classic. Also working on it will be Blumhouse Productions (Paranormal Activity, Insidious), whose founder, Jason Blum has helped revive other ‘90s flicks like The Purge. Not much else has been said about Hocus Pocus 2 since then—but we do know Nina Kitchen is set to reprise her role as young Mary Sanderson.
The Teaser
Since there’s not much more I can say about Mary Sanderson, I’ll sum up my review with an interview with Nina Kitchen. When asked if she had anything to say about her character being back, she said: I’m so excited to be a part of such a beloved franchise and that fans have such fond memories of me and my sisters. It’s just great to be back home again. If you want to know what she meant by that, you’ll have to go see it for yourself!
The Conclusion
The Tim Burton reboot of 1993’s beloved Halloween cult classic has proved to be a box office hit, with early estimates indicating that it may earn $55-$60 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend. Burton has said that he will not direct another film, but he has committed to producing sequels for his newest project. And now we know that there will definitely be a sequel, as Bette Midler recently confirmed that she and her co-stars are already hard at work on making one happen: We’re working on it, she said. We’ve been talking about it nonstop.
Who was Mary in Hocus Pocus?
In 1993, Walt Disney Pictures released a popular Halloween movie called Hocus Pocus. It was a fun film that appealed to both children and adults who enjoy cartoons with a comedic element. In 2015, Walt Disney Pictures released a sequel to Hocus Pocus called Hocus Pocus 2. The sequel took place on Halloween night 300 years after when they were first turned into witches.
What movies has Kathy Najimy been in?
From 1994-1997, Kathy Najimy was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Since then, she has appeared in numerous movies and television shows. Her film credits include The Flintstones (1994), James and the Giant Peach (1996), My Favorite Martian (1999), The Cat’s Meow (2001) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Najimy’s notable television work includes playing Nora Bradford on HBO’s Six Feet Under from 2001–2005 and Mrs. George for four seasons on ABC’s George Lopez sitcom from 2002-2006.
Who is the 4th Sanderson sister?
Mary Sanderson might be one of your favorite Halloween characters, but did you know there’s a fourth sister? Many people forget that Sarah Jessica Parker played young Winifred, and Kathy Najimy played middle sister Mary. It’s easy to see why they had to do a little bit of reshooting after Najimy was cast in Hocus Pocus. The 4th Sanderson sister looks nothing like either Thora Birch or Bette Midler. Najimy didn’t look anything like her other sisters at all. But she also looks nothing like herself because she had brown hair with bangs as Mary Sanderson rather than her trademark red hair with shoulder-length braids.
Will Hocus Pocus 2 be based on the book?
The film adaptation of Hocus Pocus, a parody novel written by Dani Land and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The book follows three girls who accidentally resurrect three evil witches (Winnie, Mary and Sarah) while trying to win a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. Two sequels have been released: Halloween Boos (October 2005) and Halloween Frights (June 2008).
Why is Mary’s mouth crooked?
This can be explained by certain film techniques that make it look like her mouth is crooked. But, what many of you may not know is that Kathy Najimy originally did not have to have a fake smile and when they put it on her she ripped it off and said she would do it with her real teeth. In some scenes where her mouth isn’t opened wide you can see there are no side edges on them, thus meaning they had to be fake. The reason for putting them on was because Director Kenny Ortega thought he would soften up Mary’s appearance and give her a sweet, little old lady like quality which made sense since she (at least at first) wasn’t supposed to be a bad guy like she ended up being.
Who is playing in Hocus Pocus 2?
The Sanderson sisters and Mary are back, but with a new cast of characters. For example, Kathy Najimy will play Mary again while her little sister, 17-year-old Sarah Jeffery, will play her younger self.
