Top 10 Things We Need to See in Hocus Pocus 2

“Hocus Pocus” was full of entertaining minor characters. The cast included over-the-top bullies, a very thirsty bus driver and Doug Jones playing the loveable zombie Billy Butcherson. They all supported an iconic ensemble cast of witches and young heroes. While the movie probably won't have time to bring every single supporting character back, we'd love to see some cameos. After being abducted by the Sanderson sisters, the bullies might’ve turned their lives around and become cops in Salem. Doug Jones could also make another appearance as Billy. And could that bus driver still be working the same route? Bringing back these supporting cast members and more in small roles would be an excellent way to suck fans right back in.

This may be a controversial idea, but hear us out. After Max unintentionally brought the Sanderson sisters back to life, the witches repaid the favor by trying to steal his sister’s soul. Although Max and the witches spend the night trying to take each other out, maybe it’s time for them to bury the hatchet. Everyone’s expecting the two sides to clash again. But wouldn’t it be more interesting if they teamed up? Imagine if Max and Winnie had to pick up a bat and a broom to unite against a new enemy. Could they overcome their checkered past or would they end up at each other’s throats? The only way to find out is for them to make an unholy alliance.

Even the most hardcore “Hocus Pocus” fans have to admit the original cast wasn’t that diverse. People of color barely have any screen time or dialogue. There’s also no representation for anyone on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. While the lack of diversity might have been a product of the times, there’s no excuse for that in the modern day. The sequel’s cast should be as colorful as one of the Sanderson sisters’ outfits. Prioritizing diversity would allow longtime fans of different backgrounds to finally see representations of themselves in Salem. Fortunately, there’s already a piece of Hocus Pocus media that offers more diversity, which we’ll get to in a moment.

In 2018, author A.W. Jantha released the book “Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel”. The plot of the sequel follows Allison and Max’s daughter, Poppy and her diverse friend group. Despite both her parents and aunt encountering witches, she doesn’t believe in magic. So, when Poppy’s crush Isabella becomes interested in the Sanderson sisters, Poppy has no problem going to the magical house. Unfortunately, this leads to the return of the witchy trio. Since this novel became a New York Times bestseller, we know it's a story worth telling. In addition, following this plot would give Disney a queer lead character. The novel’s combination of nostalgia and fresh new concepts would form a strong foundation for the movie sequel.

During “Hocus Pocus”, we learned that witches, ghosts and zombies all exist within the universe. Their appearances made us wonder if there are more magical creatures that we never got to see. Could there be vampires lurking around Salem? Are werewolves hiding in the nearby forest? Do we have to worry about evil leprechauns? The sequel could easily introduce one or more of these magical creatures into the canon. Given the tone of the original movie, the creatures would probably act less like the creatures in “Twilight” and more like the creatures in “What We Do in the Shadows”. No matter how intimidating they are, we’d love to see “Hocus Pocus” expand their universe with more magical beings.

Everyone’s favorite candle lighting virgin Max was played by Omri Katz. Katz brought a lot of charm, humor, and energy to the lead role. After his breakout performance, he only appeared in a couple of tv shows before retiring from acting. Although Katz hasn’t performed on camera since 2002, we bet he still has the chops to play his cult classic role again in the sequel. While there are plenty of capable actors that could step into the role of an older Max, the original actor will always be our first choice. If Katz is asked to come back, we hope that Disney could persuade him to come out of retirement.

A couple of lines in the first movie confirmed the Sanderson sisters had a mother. Since all three siblings are magical, this implied their mother and members of their extended family might be witches too. If the sequel wants to raise the stakes, it could bring in more Sandersons or a new trio of magical women. The writers could also go all out and have an entire coven terrorize the town. Bringing in more witches would allow for the story to branch out in new directions and give an opportunity for more actresses to become cult favorites. “American Horror Story” alone contains more than a dozen actresses who can play witches. Let’s bring in a few to cause mayhem in Salem.

One of the first scenes that comes to mind when you think of “Hocus Pocus” is the iconic musical number. When Max attempts to expose the Sanderson sisters at a costume party, Winnie leads the sisters in singing “I Put A Spell On You” to put the party-goers in a trance. The trio’s energetic vocals hypnotize us every time we watch the scene. Hopefully, the sequel can knock us off our feet again with a musical number of its own. The ideal song would be another classical hit whose title contains a really obvious magical pun. And a slow acoustic cover won’t do either. The musical number should be as upbeat and flamboyant as the one Midler leads.

If the writers decide to come up with an original story, we hope they incorporate Poppy into the main cast. As we mentioned before, Poppy’s as reckless and skeptical of witches as her father Max was. She would be a great audience surrogate for reintroducing us to this magical world. And seeing as Poppy’s related to three of the main cast, she could catch up with the original characters in a very organic way. We also really want to see how she would fare against the Sanderson sisters. Would Poppy try to defeat them like her parents did? Or would she have to come up with a brand-new plan of attack? Poppy’s plot possibilities are practically limitless.

Before we summon our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.

Give it a Retro Setting & Feel

Bring Thackery Binx Back

Bigger Action Set Pieces

We’re pretty sure fans would revolt if the trio of actresses that played the Sanderson sisters didn’t return. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker should all appear during the course of the film. Ideally, they would all reprise their original roles. However, if they’re unable to become the Sanderson sisters again, they should definitely cameo as new characters. While the trio has gone back and forth on whether they would even appear in a sequel, recent interviews suggest that they’re all on board to come back. Whether they’re on the screen for 50 minutes or 50 seconds, we can’t imagine a “Hocus Pocus” sequel without these three actresses slaying on the screen.