Hocus Pocus 2not only flew on toDisney+29 years after the original 1993 film, but it takes place 29 years after it. Similarly to the wayHocus Pocusbegan in 1963 Salem and flash forward to the modern day of 1993, the sequel flashes even more forward to the very modern day of 2022.
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From the movie’s opening sequence to a noticeable improvement with diversity to some recognizable costumes and props, there are just as many waysHocus Pocus 2differs from the original as there are for why it’s similar.
Different: Diversity
Debuting in 1993, it’s sadly no surprise thatHocus Pocuswas whiter than snow. Not to mention the way you would never see three gorgeous Sanderson Sister drag queens in the original.
Hocus Pocus 2is more diverse in a way that’s not incredibly obvious, other than a tokenized gay couple who got a single second of cuddling on the couch. The film is led by Ugandan-Canadian actressWhitney Peak,plus sees a guest appearance byRuPaul’s Drag RacealumGinger Minj, Kornbread JetéandKahmora Hallas the drag queen Sanderson Sisters.
Similar: The Opening Sequence
Hocus Pocusopens with the dark shadow of a witch flying over Salem, her silhouette reflecting in the water below her as she flies all the way to where Thackery Binx lived in Salem in 1963.
The sequel’s very first scene recreates the original, now with a raven flying across the same water to the very same spot in Salem, this time where a little Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson are living as orphans.
Different: Modern-Day Technology
Whether it was 1963 or 1993, inHocus Pocus,the modern age of technology was just beginning. No kid in Salem had an iPhone, there were no Spotify playlists full of hits for the Halloween party, and Alexa didn’t exist to answer your every beck and call.
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Because the sequel takes place in 2022, it surprises both the Sanderson Sisters and the viewers with the constant use of technology, including all the kids' cell phones, the automatic doors at Walgreens, and the witches' run-in with Alexa. Not to mention flash mobs just weren’t a thing in either century.
Same: Brooms
When the Sanderson Sisters came back to Salem after 300 years, they didn’t all have the same brooms they once did. While Winifred took the real broom, she left Sarah to fly off on a mop while Mary flew away on a vacuum cleaner.
Hocus Pocus 2put a modern-day spin on the witches' brooms, leaving Winifred with her signature classic broom while Sarah stole a Swiffer Wet Jet from Walgreens and Mary flew out the automatic door with a Roomba attached to each foot.
Different: Not Filmed In Salem
Hocus Pocuswas roughly a story about the Salem Witch Trials, so it only made sense that they filmed the movie in Witch City itself, Salem, Massachusetts, where several of thefilm’s locations remain today.
WhileHocus Pocus 2brought the Sanderson Sisters back to their roots in Salem, the cast and crew actually remained in Rhode Island during Fall 2021 to shoot the sequel in recognizable locations like Newport’s Washington Square and Newman Congregational Church and Cemetery in Providence.
Same: They Put A Spell On A Party
Aclassic musical momentfromHocus Pocuswas when Winifred led her sisters in a spooky rendition of the 1956 song “I Put A Spell On You” at the Halloween party at the Old Town Hall, where they cast a literal spell on all the guests as they sang.
29 years later, the witches found themselves back at a party in Salem on Halloween night where they took the stage and performed a rendition of “One Way Or Another,” throwing in their famous “In Kamma Koray Ama” in order to put a spell on the guests that would lead them to their enemy.
Different: Salem’s Love Of The Sanderson Sisters
InHocus Pocus,whether it was the 17th century or 1993, it was no secret that the Sanderson Sisters were hated in Salem during a time when witches were still misunderstood and inevitably hanged for their witchcraft.
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But in 2022, Winifred, Sarah and Mary come back to Salem to find dozens of Salemites dressed like them, even losing a Sanderson Sisters costume contest to their admirers.
Same: Composer
ComposerJohn Debneywas the musical mastermind behind severalDisneysoundtracks, includingThe Emperor’s New Groove, The Princess DiariesandHannah Montana: The Movie.But his career with Disney all started withHocus Pocus.
After a successful soundtrack featuring “I Put A Spell On You” and “Come Little Children,” Debney returned forHocus Pocus 2with “One Way Or Another” and a brand new song titled “The Witches Are Back.”
Different: No Dennisons
Aside from the Sanderson Sisters, Hocus Pocus centered around a family known as The Dennisons. Leading the film wasOmri Katzas Max Dennison, who takes his sister Dani trick-or-treating while their parents attend a Halloween party.
But 29 years later, The Dennisonsare nowhere to be foundin Salem. Instead, fans are introduced to a slew of new characters, includingWhitney Peakas a new witch named Becca, her best friend Izzy, played byBelissa Escobedo,and magician and Sanderson Sisters superfan Gilbert, played bySam Richardson.
Same: Cone-Bra Madonna
One of the most eye-popping moments in Hocus Pocus was when Max and Dani’s mother was seen at the Halloween party dressed asMadonna,bright red cone-bra and all.
While Mrs. Dennison doesn’t appear in the sequel, someone else wearing a similar Madonna costume with a cone-bra can be spotted in the flash mob, a clear callback to the original film.
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