'Hocus Pocus 2': Bette Midler Says It Was a 'Real Thrill' Reuniting for Sequel (Exclusive)

Sistahs! Hocus Pocus 2 introduced a new generation of Sanderson sisters — and Bette Midler shared her best advice with the actress playing Young Winifred.

The nation may have spent the past few months basking in record-breaking heat and wall-to-wall sunshine, but with the colder days and nights now upon us, it’s safe to say that autumn is well and truly here. And while the weather outside may be less inviting, pending cosy evenings locked indoors is more appealing than ever, especially when your home’s been given a lavish autumn-inspired makeover.

It's really all just a bunch of hocus pocus!  Just in time for Halloween, a sequel to the spooky "Hocus Pocus" is out on Disney+, but keen-eyed fans noticed some significant changes to at least one Sanderson Sister. You may have noticed that the infamous creepy-crooked smile of Mary Sanderson, played by Kathy Najimy, is inverted or backwards in the new "Hocus Pocus 2" film, but Najimy is now revealing there is a reason.

Belissa Escobedo is a Los Angeles-raised Chicana, the biggest cat mum ever (self-proclaimed), a former theatre kid, possibly America Ferrera’s long-lost baby sister (Just kidding. More on that later), and Izzy in the highly anticipated Disney+ Original movie Hocus Pocus 2. You may recognise Escobedo from her time as Natalie Garcia in The Baker and the Beauty, but on 30th September, she is making her way to Salem alongside the Sanderson Sisters.

While eagle-eyed fans may have noticed Kathy Najimy’s Hocus Pocus 2 smile looked different in the Disney+ sequel, the actress had a good reason for switching things up.

The Sanderson sisters ride again! Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as Winnie, Sarah and Mary in Hocus Pocus 2 — and the new movie is packed with references to the original.

“Hocus Pocus 2” sees the return of the witches alongside some new characters. A black cat named Cobweb reminds us of Thackery Binx from the first film.

“Hocus Pocus 2,” now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Returning to reprise their original roles include Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson and Doug Jones as William “Billy Butcherson.” Sadly, as you’ll find out from the following recap, Thackery Binx won’t be returning for the spooky sequel.

, the long-awaited sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic.Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker reprise their roles as Winnifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson, respectively, in the new film, which finds the trio resurrected once again by a group of teen friends — Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) — who light a new version of the infamous Black Flame Candle.However, when they return to wreak havoc on Salem — this time seeking revenge on the town's mayor, a descendant of the puritanical reverend who originally exiled them (both played by Tony Hale) — they find that a few things have changed.For one, the Sanderson Witch Museum has been reopened as a magic shop, run by a man named Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who claims to have witnessed the witches' first night of mayhem back in the '90s. But that's far from the only callback to the original.

Some things never change. Hocus Pocus is back with an all-new sequel nearly 30 years after the original hit theaters, but the Disney+ movie cast says the biggest change is that the film actually has fans this time around.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Salem witch sisters are back for a straight-to-streamer reunion this week with the release of “Hocus Pocus 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to the 1993 cult classic. The reboot arrives on Disney+ on Friday, Sept. 30. Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the reboot, nearly three decades after their fabulously flamboyant performances turned what was expected to be a typical comedy with fleeting success into a campy cult favorite that has become a Halloween staple for millions across the country. Read More: The ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Has Created Some Truly Insane (And Inspired) Merch

she was “dismayed” she couldn’t reprise her role as Dani Dennison in, Thora Birch spoke with ET on the red carpet at the Power of Women event, where she explained that there were attempts made to have her return for the sequel and shared whether she’s planning to watch.Nearly 30 years after was released, the new film reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are resurrected. In the original, Birch was one of the kids caught up in all the chaos and mayhem that followed their return to Salem, Massachusetts. Although Birch wasn’t included in the sequel, she says “there were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by.” However, “by the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else,” she continues, explaining that she was working on another project. As she explained earlier in the year, while on the set of her new Lifetime movie, , “I was working on something else when they were filming,” she said at the time, offering that “otherwise I was definitely going to be there on set with the girls.” That said, there seems to be no ill will, with Birch revealing that she plans to stream the new film.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic What strange sorcery is this that “Hocus Pocus” — a so-so comedy turned campy cult favorite starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as absolutely fabulous Salem witch sisters — should be getting a sequel nearly three decades after its 1993 release? At the time, Variety speculated that, were it not for the film’s three stars, “‘Hocus Pocus’ wouldn’t seem out of place on the Disney Channel, and perhaps belongs there.” (Its director, Kenny Ortega, would go on to helm the “High School Musical” franchise for the cabler.) In a sense, that’s what’s happened with this follow-up, aimed to breathe some life into the graveyard that is Disney+. The sequel’s existence owes less to popular demand (the original earned a respectable $39.3 million stateside and went on to become a Halloween season staple) than the realization that the film had tapped into preteens’ fascination with witchcraft before Harry Potter came along. It can be no coincidence that the new feature lifts so much of its look and feel from that franchise — with eye of newt, a dead man’s head and some aspects of “The Craft” tossed in for good measure. In “Hocus Pocus 2,” the three teens called upon to save Salem from the Sanderson sisters’ return are themselves budding witches, which means the movie is less about scaring kids away from magic than indulging their post-Potter junior wizarding fantasies.

Disney’s favorite witches are back! Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy stepped out in New York City to celebrate the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 on Tuesday, September 27.

upcoming Disney+ film “Hocus Pocus 2,” the sequel to the 1993 cult classic, revealed their thoughts about a potential third installment in the “Hocus Pocus” series during the Tuesday premiere.Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker told Entertainment Weekly that they would love to continue playing the witchy Sanderson Sisters who terrorize present-day Salem, Massachusetts.“I’m envious of other actors who have franchises, and I was hoping for a sequel to ‘First Wives Club’, but we never got that,” Midler, 76, said. “After 30 years with no sequel to ‘Hocus Pocus,’ I’ve always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once.”“The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I’m glad we got to do it.

film — but so have the film's stars, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy. ET's Rachel Smith caught up with Midler and Najimy at the New York City premiere where the two spoke about reviving their roles 30 years later. While the film was a joy to make, Midler — who plays Winifred Sanderson — said dealing with COVID was the hardest part.

Sarah Jessica Parker and her twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, hit the red carpet as a trio for the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 held at AMC Lincoln Square on Tuesday night (September 27) in New York City.