Hocus Pocus 2 Trivia | 50 facts about the Disney+ original

“Hocus Pocus 2” is a Disney+ original film and a sequel to the 1993 film.

Let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.

1. Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film
2. It is directed by Anne Fletcher
3. Hocus Pocus 2 was written by Jen D’Angelo
4. It is produced by Walt Disney Pictures
5. A sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus
6. In the film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones
7. Reprising their roles
8. With Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham joining the cast in new roles
9. Filming took place from October 2021 to January 2022 in Rhode Island, replacing Salem, Massachusetts
10. It was released on Disney+ on September 30, 2022
11. The film received mixed reviews
12. With critics praising the cast performances, humor, and nostalgia
13. But criticized the plot
14. In July 2014, it was announced that The Walt Disney Company was developing a supernatural-themed film about witches, and that Tina Fey was on board as a producer and star
15. However, Deadline Hollywood debunked rumors that the film was a sequel to Hocus Pocus
16. In November 2014, Bette Midler said in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” that she was ready and willing to return for a sequel as Winifred Sanderson
17. She also said her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy were interested in reprising the roles of Sarah and Mary Sanderson as well
18. She stressed that Disney had yet to greenlight any sequel
19. Encouraging fans of the original film to persuade Disney to make one
20. In November 2015, Midler stated in a Facebook Q&A that “after all these years and all the fan demand, I do believe I can stand and firmly say an unequivocal no” in response to a question about a sequel
21. In June 2016, actor Doug Jones mentioned that Disney had been considering a sequel, and behind the scenes discussions were in place to possibly continue the series
22. In October 2016, while promoting her HBO show Divorce, Sarah Jessica Parker was asked by Andy Cohen about a sequel
23. Her response was “I would love that. I think we’ve been very vocal that we’re very keen”, yet she insisted that fans should encourage Disney to develop a sequel
24. In Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Disney’s Halloween Classic, author Aaron Wallace identifies several potential approaches for a sequel
25. But notes that the project’s biggest challenge is the Walt Disney Studios’ interest in tentpole projects that promise very high box office returns
26. In September 2017, Hocus Pocus writer Mick Garris admitted that he was working on a script for Hocus Pocus 2
27. After years of rumors and speculation and that it would potentially be developed as a television film for Disney Channel, Freeform or ABC
28. It was later confirmed that it would be instead a remake to air on Freeform, with The Royals writer Scarlett Lacey attached to write and the original film producer David Kirschner executive producing, with original director Kenny Ortega not expected to be involved
29. The following month, Midler said she was not fond of the idea of a remake and she would not be taking part in it regardless she was offered some kind of role or not
30. Expressing doubts on how they would be able to successfully recast her role as Winifred Sanderson
31. In February 2018, Jones revealed that there had been talks to do a sequel set twenty years after the original film and that he was approached to be involved on it, though he admitted that he was still interested on reprising his role as Billy Butcherson
32. In July 2018, a book titled Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel was released, containing a novelization of the film and a sequel story
33. The sequel focuses on Max and Allison’s daughter, Poppy, who grew up hearing the family story of the original film and parents who avoid Halloween as much as possible
34. Poppy is skeptical of the tale and ends up in the Sanderson house on Halloween, twenty-five years to the day after the movie, in an attempt to prove there is nothing to the story
35. In October 2019, a sequel was announced to be in development as a Disney+ exclusive film, with a screenplay written by Jen D’Angelo
36. In March 2020, Adam Shankman signed on to direct Hocus Pocus 2 concurrently to his work on the Enchanted sequel Disenchanted
37. In October 2021, it was announced that John Debney, the composer of the original film, was set to return to score the sequel
38. The soundtrack, which features two new songs in addition to Debney’s score, was released digitally on September 30, 2022
39. It will be released physically on November 11, 2022
40. All tracks are written by John Debney
41. On September 9, 2022, the official trailer for the film premiered at the 2022 D23 Expo and was released online afterward
42. Disney+ reported Hocus Pocus 2 was the service’s most-viewed film premiere in the United States
43. Based on number of hours streamed in the first three days of its release
44. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 61%
45. Based on 135 reviews
46. With an average rating of 5.70/10
47. The website’s critics consensus reads, “Hocus Pocus 2 is basically a boiling cauldron of nostalgia, but that’s more than enough for this belated sequel to cast a reasonably effective spell”
48. On metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film was assigned a score of 55 out of 100
49. Based on 31 critics
50. Indicating “mixed or average reviews”