There's a lot for fans to be excited about concerning the upcoming sequel to Hocus Pocus, but some might be disappointed about the lack of a familiar voice in the film. In the original movie, Thackery Binx was a teenager who was cursed to spend the rest of eternity as a black cat after running afoul of the Sanderson Sisters. Voiced by Jason Marsden, Thackery gets his curse lifted at the end of the film so he can be reunited with his sister in the afterlife.
Though Thackery Binx seemingly had a happy ending, a black cat appeared in a recent trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, fueling speculation that the beloved feline would somehow be returning for a special appearance. However, this may not be the same black cat from part one, as Marsden won't be included in any way in Hocus Pocus 2. Per Entertainment Weekly, it has now been reported that Marsden did not return for the sequel as the voice of the talking cat. Disney declined to comment on the story.
Directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, Hocus Pocus follows a teenage boy who accidentally revives three witches on Halloween night in present-day Salem. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy starred as the Sanderson Sisters with the cast also including Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, Doug Jones, and Jason Marsden. While the film didn't light the box office on fire upon its premiere, it has only grown in popularity in subsequent years, in part thanks to annual airings on television every Halloween season.
The Sanderson Sisters Return in Hocus Pocus 2
The sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, is directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Jen D'Angelo. Midler, Parker, and Najimy all return as the Sanderson Sisters, once again returning to Salem where they must be stopped by the town's youth. They won't be the only returning stars, as Doug Jones has also confirmed his return as Billy Butcherson.
But fans should not count on seeing all of their favorites from the original film coming back. Vinessa Shaw was one original star who said she wasn't contacted about returning but noted that she would have if the filmmakers had given her a call. There's no indication that she has since gotten involved with the project. Meanwhile, there's no word on the involvement of Omri Katz, though he has similarly said he'd be "honored" to return as Max. Thora Birch nearly returned as an adult Dani as she was actually given an offer to return but the scheduling did not work out, preventing her inclusion.
"Everybody tried so hard," Birch told ComicBook.com. "Everybody tried so hard to make that happen and it just didn't, but everybody tried so hard. That was everybody's intention. But you know what? At the end of the day, just between you and I, I'd probably rather play Winifred in the future. I'd probably rather play Winnie."
Hocus Pocus 2 is coming to Disney+ this Halloween.