Hello, Salem! My name is Winnie, what’s yours? Well, actually it’s Charlotte but that isn’t the point here — the point is that the Hocus Pocus 2 release date is being bumped to September 2022. Initially tipped for an All Hallows Eve release date, Disney have revealed that the scary movie is set to drop on streaming service Disney Plus on September 30, 2022.
Disney made the announcement during its Upfront event, during which the company also shared exclusive footage from the upcoming family movie. As described by Entertainment Weekly, the footage shows two young girls lighting the Black Flame Candle, which brings back the infamous Sanderson Sisters. Reportedly, Winifred Sanderson(Bette Midler) can be heard shouting, “Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we’re back!.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, Winifred, Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) then launch into a cover of Elton John’s ‘The Bitch Is Back.’ The clip is also said to feature the return of Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) as well as the appearance of an as-yet-unknown character played by Sam Richardson and Tony Hale, who plays the mayor of Salem.
Not a lot about the plot has been revealed, but in a November 2021 press release, Disney gave the following synopsis: “It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practising witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow’s Eve.”
Alongside the returning cast members and newcomers featured in the clip, Hocus Pocus 2 is also set to star Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, and Belissa Escobedo as three high school students who must work to defeat the Sanderson Sisters.
Check out our guide on the best scary movies for kids while we wait for the Sanderson Sisters to return.