The New ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Trailer Finally Shows Us Bette Midler
Lock up your children and your affordably-priced drug store goods, the Sanderson Sisters are back—and they’re raiding Walgreens for all the clearance Halloween merch! (And maybe a few souls.)
Back in June, Disney’s teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 gave us autumn-obsessed gothic ghouls just enough glimpses of witchy goodness to hold us through summer. But much like pumpkin spice lattes and chunky-heeled boots, three more forces of evil are bound to rear their heads each fall season: Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy).
In a full-length trailer released Friday at Disney’s D23 expo, the three sinister sisters are back in the long-awaited sequel to the iconic 1993 film—a Halloween staple for millions—and they’re causing more mischief than ever before. You could say they’re “running amok” (amok, amok, amok…).
(A previous teaser deprived us of footage of the Sanderson sisters.)
It may have been nearly three decades since the first Hocus Pocus film, but clearly, teenagers are still just as dense. When a new pair of Salem teens accidentally summon the ancient dark magic of the Sandersons, they quickly realize they’re in well over their heads. “We have to get out of here, the witches will be here any second!” says Becca (Gossip Girl’s Whitney Peak), echoing what made the first film such a terror to children everywhere: This evil trio could appear at any second.
But for all their naivete, Becca and her friend Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) have modern technology on their side. It only takes them but a second on their phones to figure out how to block an attack from the Sandersons: a circle of salt. The Sandersons, on the other hand, still have some acclimating to do.
By the looks of it, a good portion of that adjustment is done in the well-stocked rows of a Walgreens, where the Sanderson Sisters stalk down the self-care aisle, sniffing out their prey. Like any of us, they’re easily distracted. Winifred drinks a hand cream, Sarah sprays perfume in her mouth, and Mary tries to munch on a face mask. Beauty influencers, these girls are not.
Despite Salem’s legendary baddies' occasional bumbling nature, there’s something just as terrifying about the Sanderson Sisters now as there was 30 years ago. With its autumnal Masachusettes setting, woodsy resurrections, and plenty of creepy tchotchkes courtesy of local shopkeep Gilbert (Sam Richardson), Hocus Pocus 2 looks ready to petrify a new generation of children and teenagers. That much is clear from a shot of Winifred sweeping by on her broom to grab a local trick-or-treater and steal their soul right in front of Becca and Izzy.
This sequel might even come with a little bit of prequel, as it looks like we’ll be seeing exactly how the Sanderson Sisters got their wicked start. After being banished from Salem on her 16th birthday, Winifred and her sisters are given the infamous, open-eyed spellbook by a supreme mother of sorts, played by Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham.
And with Becca on the verge of her 16th birthday 370 years later, she may prove the ultimate foil to Winifred and co., if she’s next in a line of witches. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until Hocus Pocus 2 hits Disney+ on Sept. 30. Until then, all that’s left to do is stare wistfully at the leaves outside, hoping they’ll turn faster to bring the end of the 30-year Sanderson drought.
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