Thora Birch Is ‘Dismayed’ She’s Not In ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ Explains Why She Left ‘Wednesday’

Belissa Escobedo is a Los Angeles-raised Chicana, the biggest cat mum ever (self-proclaimed), a former theatre kid, possibly America Ferrera’s long-lost baby sister (Just kidding. More on that later), and Izzy in the highly anticipated Disney+ Original movie Hocus Pocus 2. You may recognise Escobedo from her time as Natalie Garcia in The Baker and the Beauty, but on 30th September, she is making her way to Salem alongside the Sanderson Sisters.

While eagle-eyed fans may have noticed Kathy Najimy’s Hocus Pocus 2 smile looked different in the Disney+ sequel, the actress had a good reason for switching things up.

Hocus Pocus 2 appears to be just the Halloween treat that fans were hoping for.The long-awaited sequel to the 1993 cult movie was released Friday on Disney+, and the folks who have tuned in so far are giving it thumbs up.Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Bette Midler reprise their roles as the diabolical Sarah, Mary and Winifred Sanderson in the spooky comedy. Magic: Hocus Pocus 2 has cast its magical spell and fans are delighted with the long-awaited sequel now streaming on Disney+, according to their social media postsIn the new chapter, three young women light the black candle, bringing the Sanderson sisters to modern-day Salem.

Hocus Pocus 2 just premiered this week and fans are already talking about a lot of things in the movie – but one of the most noticeable things is that Mary’s crooked smile is backwards!

The Sanderson sisters ride again! Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as Winnie, Sarah and Mary in Hocus Pocus 2 — and the new movie is packed with references to the original.

The Sanderson sisters are back and bewitching as ever in “Hocus Pocus 2”, the long-awaited sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic.

Thora Birch explained why she did not reprise her role as Dani Dennison in Disney's Hocus Pocus 2, which came out on Friday.The longtime actress, 40, told ET Canada that she took interest in appearing in the sequel, but couldn't due to a prior commitment. 'By the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else,' she revealed while on the red carpet at Variety's Power of Women event in Los Angeles. Speaking up: Thora Birch explained why she didn't reprise her role as Dani Dennison in Disney's Hocus Pocus 2, which came out on FridayThe star shared she was 'dismayed' that it didn't work out, adding, 'There were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by.'Although she won't appear in the sequel, nearly 30 years after the 1993 original, she said she' will be tuning in to watch it.  'I’m excited for the fans who have been begging for for ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ for years,' she noted.

Thora Birch has an answer for the question everyone has been asking.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stay at the "Hocus Pocus" Cottage?  Well, now is the time — if you dare.  On Oct. 20, 2022, the Sanderson Sisters are inviting two guests to stay in a recreation of the Hocus Pocus Cottage in Salem, Massachusetts.  The 300-year-old cottage was recreated for fans of the movie to visit exclusively and get into the Halloween spirit.  One room in the cottage includes a large cauldron, in honor of the witches that once lived there.  (Helynn Ospina) But on October 12, 2022, at 1p.m.

, the long-awaited sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic.Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker reprise their roles as Winnifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson, respectively, in the new film, which finds the trio resurrected once again by a group of teen friends — Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) — who light a new version of the infamous Black Flame Candle.However, when they return to wreak havoc on Salem — this time seeking revenge on the town's mayor, a descendant of the puritanical reverend who originally exiled them (both played by Tony Hale) — they find that a few things have changed.For one, the Sanderson Witch Museum has been reopened as a magic shop, run by a man named Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who claims to have witnessed the witches' first night of mayhem back in the '90s. But that's far from the only callback to the original.

Hocus Pocus 2″ is the long awaited sequel to the 1993 original. A financial failure when it was first released, the film has since become a much beloved cult classic, celebrated, quoted and imitated in costume by faithful fans including this writer.

Some things never change. Hocus Pocus is back with an all-new sequel nearly 30 years after the original hit theaters, but the Disney+ movie cast says the biggest change is that the film actually has fans this time around.

Hollywood loves a good legacy sequel, and we are truly in the age of bringing back any and all properties with an ounce of nostalgic value.Tron: Legacy, Creed, Halloween (2018), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Blade Runner: 2049, Doctor Sleep, The Matrix Resurrections, Mary Poppins Returns, Bill & Ted: Face the Music, and just this year, Top Gun: Maverick.They aren’t going away anytime soon and now Hocus Pocus 2 has joined the crowd to entice original fans and a new generation of audiences to welcome back the Sanderson Sisters.It dropped exclusively on Disney+ today (September 30) and takes place almost 30 years after the first film hit the big screen.Here is everything you need to know about the sequel, its cast, and how it connects to the original.To the delight of fans, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are all returning as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson.The Sanderson Sisters were the heart and driving force of the plot for the original film, so it is no surprise to see them back in action.The rest of the orbiting cast is entirely different to the first film though, as there are three decades of separation between instalments.Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo will co-star as Becca, Cassie, and Izzy.They are a trio of high school students that bring the Sanderson Sisters back to action once more.Hannah Waddingham, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Juju Brener, Froyan Gutierrez, Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen complete the main cast.In one disappointing bit of news for fans, Thora Birch isn't reprising the role of Dani Dennison from the original due to scheduling conflicts.Speaking to ComicBook.com in May, Thora said: "Everybody tried so hard to make that happen and it just

After revealing that she was “dismayed” she couldn’t reprise her role as Dani Dennison in “Hocus Pocus 2“, Thora Birch spoke with ET on the red carpet at the Variety Power of Women event, where she explained that there were attempts made to have her return for the sequel and shared whether she’s planning to watch.

Hocus Pocus is going to get the Broadway treatment and become a musical revealed the film's producer David Kirschner, 67. 'They are building a Broadway version of Hocus Pocus,' he told The Art of Kindness podcast. 'I just want to pinch myself.' This news comes ahead of the highly anticipated release of Hocus Pocus 2 starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy on Disney+ Friday.  Back and heading to Broadway: Bette Midler, center, Sarah Jessica Parker, left, and Kathy Najimy, right, wreaked hilarious chaos on Salem, Massachussets back in 1993 as the Sanderson Sisters.

during the Broadway Podcast Network’s “The Art of Kindness” podcast on Thursday.“This started before COVID, but now it seems to be back on — and that is that they are building a Broadway version of ‘Hocus Pocus,’ ” said Kirschner.“I just want to pinch myself, and I’m just afraid that I’m going to be 9 years old and on a Little League field again … But it’s just so wonderful just to stand back and watch all of this.”The 67-year-old producer and “Hocus Pocus” creator made the announcement a day before the highly-anticipated sequel is set to fly on Disney+.“It’s not just me. It’s so many people that brought ‘Hocus Pocus’ [to life] — from [director] Kenny Ortega and Mick Garris’ script and John Debney’s score and Bill Sandell’s production design, and now a whole new generation are working on it,” Kirschner said.“Hocus Pocus” and its sequel star Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the hilarious-yet-sinister Sanderson sisters — who are hellbent on terrorizing modern-day Salem, Massachusetts.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Salem witch sisters are back for a straight-to-streamer reunion this week with the release of “Hocus Pocus 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to the 1993 cult classic. The reboot arrives on Disney+ on Friday, Sept. 30. Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the reboot, nearly three decades after their fabulously flamboyant performances turned what was expected to be a typical comedy with fleeting success into a campy cult favorite that has become a Halloween staple for millions across the country. Read More: The ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Has Created Some Truly Insane (And Inspired) Merch

she was “dismayed” she couldn’t reprise her role as Dani Dennison in, Thora Birch spoke with ET on the red carpet at the Power of Women event, where she explained that there were attempts made to have her return for the sequel and shared whether she’s planning to watch.Nearly 30 years after was released, the new film reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are resurrected. In the original, Birch was one of the kids caught up in all the chaos and mayhem that followed their return to Salem, Massachusetts. Although Birch wasn’t included in the sequel, she says “there were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by.” However, “by the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else,” she continues, explaining that she was working on another project. As she explained earlier in the year, while on the set of her new Lifetime movie, , “I was working on something else when they were filming,” she said at the time, offering that “otherwise I was definitely going to be there on set with the girls.” That said, there seems to be no ill will, with Birch revealing that she plans to stream the new film.

out on Disney+ 29 years later, is much, much worse.Running time: 104 minutes. Rated PG (action, macabre/suggestive humor and some language).