A new “Hocus Pocus 2” trailer arrived at Disney’s D23 Expo, predicting the return of the Sanderson sisters.
“I drive you out of Salem forever.” A Reverend’s voice intensifies at the beginning as younger versions of the witch trio walk through a field and some woods.
“Ted Lasso” actress Hannah Waddingham’s character appears, who transforms from a bird into a woman and wishes the sisters a happy sixteenth birthday.
“They were right to be afraid of you,” she says. “Magic has a way of uniting.”
The trailer turns into a horror shop 375 years later, where owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson) says, “I have a gift for my favorite customers.”
“Legend has it, it is on the 16th birthday that a witch gets her powers,” he continues, giving the mysterious candle to two young girls who call the Sanderson sisters back to Salem.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Nazimi return to their summons – with a lit candle, Winifred warning Salem to “Shut up your kids!”
A book is awakened in Gilbert’s shop at the call of Winifred, and three silhouettes of witches appear at a door.
“If we intend to live before sunrise, we must steal their souls,” said Winifred to her sisters in the woods.
When Gilbert asks if they can talk about this, Winifred casually declines his request.
The video then shows the witches taking to the sky on broomsticks – or in Mary’s (Najimuy) case, flying shoes – “running amok, amok, amok” as Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker) calls it. The three sisters also go through a pharmacy like CVS, taste bath salts and inspire two young girls who mistakenly told them to take salt so that “it tastes better when they eat us.”
Another comedic shot of the trio features Winifred telling her sisters to “spread,” and Sarah, taking it literally, almost slips into splits.
And at the end of the trailer, Billy Butcherson also comes alive. Gilbert, to his screaming horror, digs him out, freeing him to crawl under the graveyard in which he was buried.
“Wait, I’m a good zombie,” Butcherson replies as Gilbert runs away with his shovel.