Hocus Pocus 2 director confirms why two original characters won't return
Excitement is growing for Disney's upcoming spooky sequel to the 1993 Halloween movie Hocus Pocus, but there will be a couple of big changes fans may be disappointed about.
Namely, original characters Max and Allison will not be returning for the sequel. The characters, played by Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw, respectively, were the ones who originally resurrected the three Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) and were subsequently chased and tormented by them.
However, Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher, who helmed The Proposal, has confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the characters will not be returning for even a cameo appearance.
"We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, how do we make this work?" Fletcher said.
"It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You're trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo."
Fletcher explained: "People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry."
There won't actually be much overlap between Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2. Outside of the Sanderson Sisters actresses, the only returning actor is Doug Jones, who plays the decaying body of Billy Butcher, the zombie ex-lover of Winifred (Midler). Jones is best known for his roles in Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.
The sequel will be released exclusively on Disney+ on September 30.
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