Hocus Pocus 2 is coming to Disney+ this Halloween, and as well as bringing back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, the spooky sequel also sees Doug Jones reprising his role as zombie Billy Butcherson. In a new interview, Jones revealed that returning to the role was something of a surprise but a pleasant one.
Hocus Pocus was released in 1993 and introduced the world to the Sanderson Sisters, three Salem witches who are revived in the modern day thanks to the lighting of a magical candle. Now, history is about to repeat itself as the Sandersons return in a brand new sequel on Disney+, and along for the ride is the undead boyfriend of Winifred Sanderson, Billy Butcherson, who will be once again played by legendary character actor Doug Jones.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Jones discussed his upcoming role in the 29-years-belated sequel and how after such a length of time, he had never expected to play the character again despite many rumors of a sequel over the years. He said:
“The fans have been rumbling about it forever. But I was at the 20-year anniversary screening of Hocus Pocus nine years ago at the Disney lot. One of our producers, David Kirschner, was there talking with my makeup artist, Tony Gardner, and they were conversing about the sequel that they were pitching to the studio. That's when I realized, "Oh, it might actually happen," and then here we are nine years later, finally. So in the meantime, there's been a lot of rumors and more fan art with like, "Here's the poster," and it's like, "Wait, someone has really good PhotoShop skills, but that's not happening yet." [Laughs] So finally, to have a call from Ralph Winter, our producer that was our feet-on-the-ground producer from the first movie, him him call me back and say, "Hey, we are back and they want you back, and here's the deal." I anticipated and hoped, but never thought like, you never expect like that I'm gonna get to reprise the role that I loved playing 29 years later, it was a lovely surprise and very nostalgic.”
Hocus Pocus 2 Was Made Possible Thanks to the Creation of Disney+
As Doug Jones suggested, a possible sequel to Hocus Pocus is something that fans have been talking about for decades. With many social media sites often being flooded with fan-made posters and trailers for Hocus Pocus 2 in the past, it is not surprising that when it was first announced, everyone questioned if it was genuine or not. However, it turned out that this time around, so long after the original movie’s release, Hocus Pocus 2 was very much a thing, but only because of the arrival of Disney+
Like many studios, The Walt Disney Company now has two different production routes to satisfy and keep flowing with new content; theatrical and streaming. If Disney only had the option of theatrical releases, then it is likely that something like Hocus Pocus 2 would never have been made, but Disney+ has allowed the House of Mouse to explore several long-delayed sequels to release as exclusive streaming content. Now Hocus Pocus 2 is one of the most anticipated titles coming to Disney+ this Fall, and it won’t be long until fans can see the Sandersons, and Billy, back on screen again.