Thora Birch Is 'Dismayed' She's Not in 'Hocus Pocus 2,' Explains Why She Left 'Wednesday' (Exclusive)

Spooky season is here. When Halloween comes around, some think of trick-or-treating, spooky season decorations and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but others go a tad darker, associating the holiday with bloody horror movies and jump-scares.

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.

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,” 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.

After revealing that she was “dismayed” she couldn’t reprise her role as Dani Dennison in “Hocus Pocus 2“, Thora Birch spoke with ET on the red carpet at the Variety 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.

during the Broadway Podcast Network’s “The Art of Kindness” podcast on Thursday.“This started before COVID, but now it seems to be back on — and that is that they are building a Broadway version of ‘Hocus Pocus,’ ” said Kirschner.“I just want to pinch myself, and I’m just afraid that I’m going to be 9 years old and on a Little League field again … But it’s just so wonderful just to stand back and watch all of this.”The 67-year-old producer and “Hocus Pocus” creator made the announcement a day before the highly-anticipated sequel is set to fly on Disney+.“It’s not just me. It’s so many people that brought ‘Hocus Pocus’ [to life] — from [director] Kenny Ortega and Mick Garris’ script and John Debney’s score and Bill Sandell’s production design, and now a whole new generation are working on it,” Kirschner said.“Hocus Pocus” and its sequel star Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the hilarious-yet-sinister Sanderson sisters — who are hellbent on terrorizing modern-day Salem, Massachusetts.

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.

wrote on its website.True to witchy form, the humble and homey hovel is located in the woods of Salem, Massachusetts.“We all know that the Sanderson Sisters’ story might not have ended when we turned to dust, nor did our shenanigans,” said Kathy Najimy, who plays Mary Sanderson in both films. “What better way to celebrate the season than to host guests at the trio’s historic haunt for a night they’ll remember for years to come?”Airbnb further described the eerie experience as one complete with details from the “Hocus Pocus” world.“Wooden boards that groan under the weight of curious cats and cupboards filled with blood of owl and herb that’s red (and even a hair from Winifred’s head) await those who dare to explore the cottage’s dark corners,” the site advertisement said.Prior to their stay, visitors can explore Salem in all its gruesome glory, watch the spooky sequel, out Sept.

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.

Antonio Ferme editor Slow and steady wins the race — and in the case of “Hocus Pocus 2,” the Sanderson sisters are returning to seek revenge on Salem after 29 years. While Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all reprise their roles as the three villainous witches in the sequel, there were some notable absences. For one, the main protagonists of the original film — Omri Katz’s Max Dennison and Vinessa Shaw’s Allison Watts — don’t appear in the movie. During the “Hocus Pocus 2” worldwide premiere on Tuesday in New York City, screenwriter Jen D’Angelo shed a light of hope that Max and Allison could return for a potential third installment.

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.