Someone lit the black flame candle, and the Sanderson sisters have returned to put a spell on you in Hocus Pocus 2. The sequel contains many of the classic quirks and nods of the 1993 original: Sarah repeating 鈥渁mok鈥� over and over, Winifred being called a 鈥渉ag,鈥� Mary calling their would-be victims 鈥渟hish-kababy,鈥� and Mary鈥檚 crooked smile 鈥� which is now mysteriously in the opposite direction.
Hocus Pocus 2 features the return of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker. It follows Becca, Izzy, and Cassie, three teenage girls who must save Salem from the witches. Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham star as the new trio of heroines. The film is filled with references to the first movie, backstory details, and evidence for fan theories.
Both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are available to stream on Disney+. If you鈥檙e planning on a Hocus Pocus double feature this Halloween weekend, here are some Easter eggs in Hocus Pocus 2 to watch out for. See how many you can spot.
Let鈥檚 Go Back to the 1600s
Hocus Pocus 2 tells audiences the year is 1653, 40 years before the year embossed on the cover of the Hocus Pocus book that fills the screen at the beginning of the first film.
"We Are Not Here!"
In the first film, the townspeople of Salem arrive at the door of the Sanderson sisters鈥� cottage. 鈥淭here are no witches here,鈥� Sarah says in the first film when the villagers come bearing torches. When the crowd appear for a much scarier purpose in the second film, Winifred tells her sisters to act like no one is home. Sarah makes sure to tell the villagers as much: 鈥淲e are not here!鈥�
Cat Transformation Spell
The sequel gives a nod to Thackery Binx鈥檚 curse when Winifred spots this spell in her new book, and Sarah believes Gilbert鈥檚 cat Cobweb is really Binx. The spell in the original film is the first instance of 鈥渋tchita copita, melaka mystica鈥� being uttered within the franchise, which goes on to make several appearances throughout both films.
Who Is Mother?
In Hocus Pocus, the three sisters raise their brooms to the memory of 鈥淢other.鈥� Turns out, they may be raising their brooms to the Witch Mother, rather than the woman who birthed them. The sequel flashes back to the young Sanderson sisters, who meet the Witch Mother for the first time in the woods. There, the Witch Mother gifts the Book to Winnie.
Dani鈥檚 Halloween Costume Has Some Supernatural Origins
In the original Hocus Pocus, Dani dressed up like a witch. And her costume has some callbacks in Hocus Pocus 2. The sequel introduces the Witch Mother in a brick red dress, outfitted with a feathered black cape reminiscent of Dani鈥檚 vest. While Dani鈥檚 costume features an embroidered sun in the center of the bodice, an interesting symbol considering how sunrise dooms the Sanderson sisters, the Witch Mother鈥檚 costume features an open all-seeing eye embroidered in the same spot. The image of the open eye on a red background is also repeated on a beaded curtain in Gilbert鈥檚 shop.
1990s or 2020s, It鈥檚 Tie-Dye and Cardigans
Max Dennison rocks tie-dye in the Hocus Pocus, a fashion choice repeated by Cassie in Hocus Pocus 2. The costume department also outfitted Cassie with a cardigan reminiscent of the one that Allison wore for the majority of Hocus Pocus.
Which High School Is This?
In the scene where Becca waits to speak to the principal, the high school鈥檚 mascot is revealed. Unsurprisingly, it鈥檚 the Puritans. However, either the name for the high school has changed from Jacob Bailey High School to Samuel Skeleton High School, or it鈥檚 another high school in Salem. The name seems to be a nod to the lyrics of the song 鈥淪keleton Sam鈥� by LVCRFT, which plays in the sequel鈥檚 opening shots of modern-day Salem.
The Dennison House
A painting of the house can be seen hanging in the original film. The house can also be spotted in the sequel: it鈥檚 on a billboard.
Sarah Has One Job
鈥淚 lured the child in,鈥� Sarah remarks in the beginning of Hocus Pocus. In the sequel, upon being told that today鈥檚 鈥測outh potions鈥� already have the souls of children mixed in, Sarah mourns the loss of her one duty.
鈥淲innie, Do You Want to Hit Me?鈥�
As Winifred loses hope in both films, her sister Mary offers her a free slap on the hand to cheer Winifred up.
Billy Butcherson鈥檚 Mouth is Finally Unzipped
In the sequel, Billy finally gets a chance to share his side (literally, the undead man did have his mouth sewn shut for a long time). He was not, in fact, Winifred鈥檚 lover that cheated by 鈥渟porting with her sister, Sarah.鈥� Billy reveals he only kissed Winifred once in a graveyard. Doug Jones reprises his role, once again scaring characters into screaming when they see him as a zombie fresh from the grave. He also, sadly, loses his head again.
Archabold Sinclair
Max rides past this headstone in the graveyard on his bicycle in the first film. In the sequel, while Becca waits to go into the principal鈥檚 office, an announcement over the loud speaker asks, 鈥淎rchabold Sinclair, please see [one of the teachers] in the gymnasium after school.鈥� And speaking of bicycles, Max and Becca both ride theirs to school.
A Little Breaking of the Fourth Wall
In the cheekiest reference to the original film, Winifred peers through a window and sees a couple sitting on the couch watching the 1993 Hocus Pocus.
