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‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Sets Release Date, Adds Cast Members

It’s a happy Halloween for fans of the 1993 cult classic comedy Hocus Pocus. Producers announced the new cast for the long-awaited sequel and Disney+ revealed when fans can watch it.

Producers announced that Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham and Veep‘s Tony Hale and Sam Richardson will join the cast. Original stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones are all set to reprise their roles in the Hocus Pocus sequel, TVLine reported.

Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen round out the cast. Jen D’Angelo, who wrote for the Comedy Central sitcom Workaholics, will write the script.

Disney didn’t give a date but said fans should expect a fall 2022 release.

The Providence Journal reported last week that Hocus Pocus 2 recently began in Providence, Rhode Island.

Producers talked about revisiting the film for years, but those projects never materialized. At one point, the Disney Channel considered remaking the franchise with a new cast.

Talk of a sequel in 2017 seemed like another doomed venture. But Bette Midler revealed last year that Disney+ approached the original cast about returning to the roles.

“They want to make a movie, they’ve asked us if we were interested and of course all of us said yes,” Midler confirmed to Good Day New York

Hocus Pocus was a mild success at the box office and critical flop in 1993. According to Variety, the movie made $39 million on a $29 million budget. But the film grew into a cult classic as it gained fans from repeat airings on cable channels during Halloween.

Sean Murray of ‘NCIS’ Said He’d Return to ‘Hocus Pocus’ Role

Most people know Sean Murray for his role as Special Agent Timothy McGee on NCIS. But long before he was chasing bad guys, he was chasing mice as the 17th-century boy cursed to be an immortal black cat in Hocus Pocus. Playing Thackery Binx was one of Murray’s first acting jobs.

“If they wanted me to be involved with it in some sort of way, I would probably say yes,” Murray said a few years ago during an E! Online interview. Hocus Pocus has a great following and was a great part of when I was a kid.”

That’s not a definite yes, but it’s hopeful for fans of the film.

He was a teenager when the movie hit theaters. He remembers being awestruck when he first walked onto the set.

“The one [thing] that I’ll never forget is when I came on the lot, the soundstage for the first time, and was shown the Sanderson sisters house,” Murray said. “The house, the moat…I’ve never seen anything like that. To this day, it was just incredible.”