Warning spoilers for Hocus Pocus 2 ahead! Hocus Pocus 2 sees the Sanderson Sisters return in all their unholy glory. This time, though, the conniving coven of Winnie (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) , and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) don’t want to drain the life force of children. No, they’re after revenge.
Specifically, they want revenge on the Traske family, who banished the sisters from Salem in the 17th Century. To do so, they plan on conducting the Magicae Maxima ritual, which will make the trio the most powerful witches who ever live and restore them to full life.
Will the witches succeed in their scheme? Well, we recomend you got and watch the new Disney movie before you read this, but if you’re feeling a bit lost in the chaos, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the Hocus Pocus 2 ending explained.
Hocus Pocus 2 ending explained
After the Sanderson Sisters are brought to life by the machinations of Gilbert (Sam Richardson), they immediately attack Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), who summoned them with their black flame candle.
Thankfully the girls are able to escape to Gilbert’s shop, where he confesses he worked to resurrect the witches because he’s a huge fan who never believed they were evil. He’s quickly proven wrong when the witches arrive and lock up Becca and Izzy in the basement.
Reunited with their sentient magical spellbook (called Book) that Gilbert had in his possession, the sisters decide to perform the Magicae Maxima ritual against Book’s protestations. The witches need several ingredients for the spell, and they enchant Gilbert into collecting the various reagents they need.
The most important ingredient, however, is the blood of an enemy. With all the witches’ enemies long dead, they decide that the ancestor of an enemy will do and conspire to steal the blood of Mayor Traske (Tony Hale), who’s related to the minister who first banished them from Salem.
While the witches go off to get Traske’s blood, the girls escape the basement and warn their friend Cassie (Lilia Buckingham) – who’s estranged from the group and the mayor’s daughter – that the witches are back and on the attack.
As the witches tear through Salem, we get a lot of magical mayhem, some witchy fun, and even a dance number or two as the girls work to keep the clueless mayor from the witch’s clutches. Eventually, however, the Sisters learn they don’t need his blood. They can just take Cassie’s.
So after Gilbert successfully gathers all the necessary ingredients, including the still living head of Billy the Zombie, the sisters begin their spell – taking just a drop of Cassie’s blood. However, Becca, who’s been shown to have some form of magic throughout the film, realises she is in fact a witch and attacks the sisters with her spells.
As Winnie and Becca battle it out, it becomes clear that Winnie is too powerful for the inexperienced teen, and even though they convince Book to betray the Sandersons, the girls find themselves pinned down by the witches.
As they read the spell book, Izzy realises that power is meant to be shared, and the girls form their own coven allowing them to stave off the Sanderson’s attack. Realising that the Magicae Maxima is the only way they can defeat the girls the Sanderson’s decide to complete the ritual and are successful.
Or so it seems. Unfortunately, the Magicae Maxima requires a sacrifice and Mary and Sarah soon disappear. Not wanting to be alone Winnie emplores Becca and her friends to fix things.
Book shows the girls a ritual, and although they can’t bring Mary and Sarah back, they can send Winnie to them. So, in the end, Winnie willing sacrifices herself, complimenting Becca on the power of her coven.
As the girls walk home from their adventure, the raven form of Mother Witch – who taught the Sanderson magic – follows the girls setting up a Hocus Pocus 3. If you love Hocus Pocus, check out our list of the best scary movies for kids, or if you fancy something more adult, we have a best horror movie guide as well.