Thora Birch on the Real Reason She Won't Appear in 'Hocus Pocus 2'

Thora Birch starred as Dani Dennison in the original 1993 film.

Thora Birch, the actress behind the beloved character of Dani Dennison in Hocus Pocus, is opening up about the real reason for her absence in the upcoming sequel.

Die-hard Hocus Pocus fans were disappointed to learn that Birch would not be reprising her role as Dani in the new Disney+ sequel, despite capturing audiences' hearts as a young girl in the original 1993 film.

Birch, now 40, recently explained why she won't be back for another run with the iconic Sanderson sisters, revealing that she was busy with another project at the time of filming.

"I was just a little dismayed I wasn't able to make it," Birch stated, according to Entertainment Tonight. "I was working on something else when they were filming."

Birch also insisted that if it weren't for her previous commitments, she "was definitely going to be there on set with the girls," and is already excited to see their new take on the spell-binding Halloween film.

"I can't wait to see what they do with it," she added. "I know they're taking a completely different, fresh approach, so I'm excited."

"I'm still recovering from the 20-year anniversary of Hocus Pocus," she also quipped, anticipating the excitement for the film's upcoming 30th anniversary in July 2023. "This one will be even more extra."

Birch isn't the only Hocus Pocus star who won't be reprising their role in the sequel, as Omri Katz, who played her older brother Max Dennison, and Vinessa Shaw, who starred as Allison, are also notable absent from the upcoming film.

But lucky for viewers, all three of the Sanderson sisters—played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy—will of course be back to cause more magical mayhem in the sequel.

The three beloved witches will return to cast more spells on Friday, Sept. 30, when Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+.

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