Thirty years after the release of Hocus Pocus, the anticipated sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, was finally released! Fans and those who grew up with the movie were excited for the return of this Halloween classic. 

Hocus Pocus tells the story of Max Dennision, who recently moved to the city of Salem. In the town, it is rumored that on Halloween night, if a virgin lights the black flame candle, the Sanderson sisters will come once again to haunt the town of Salem. The Sanderson sisters are three witches named Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, and they take the lives of children in order to stay young and live longer than the one night the candle brings them back to life. Though this story has been told for generations and is believed by everyone in the town, Max finds such a thing ludicrous and refuses to believe that three witches could come to life and cause such horror. However, on Halloween night, Max faces the consequences of doubting what the citizens of Salem have warned him about, and lights the black flame candle. Moments later, the Sanderson house starts to shake, and the Sanderson sisters appear once again. Knowing his responsibility to stop the Sanderson sisters before they take the lives of the children of Salem, Max finds a way to stop the Sanderson sisters.

In the sequel to this classic tale, the story unfolds by revealing some background information of the Sanderson sisters’ early lives, and what brought them to their mischievous behavior. After that, it fast forwards into the modern twist of this Halloween tale. The Sanderson sisters are awoken once again, and they must be stopped before it is too late. 

Though the first movie received phenomenal reviews for its lovable characters and humorous moments, many had mixed reviews about the sequel. Some thought it was lacking, and didn’t have the same charm the first movie had on everyone. They said that its modern components made it feel less special and even a little cringe-worthy.

Regardless of what people thought of the film, it shattered records held by Encanto and Frozen 2 for being the most watched movie on Disney+ (Vanity). Some obvious reasons for this was the return of the iconic Sanderson Sisters and their unique personalities that were very well portrayed by the people who played their role. Because of how well they did, many were excited to see that they were recast once again in the same role, keeping the magic of these characters. There was also a lot of debate on whether Hocus Pocus would have a sequel, and as people were waiting for a new movie as they felt nostalgic over the film, it was the perfect time to release a new film. 

With all of the excitement this movie brought, fan were left on a big cliffhanger that alluded to a third movie. Megan Chou (12), a fan of Hocus Pocus, says how she was “excited to see the tradition of Hocus Pocus return once again.” No matter how long it will take for a third movie to be released, fans are willing to wait as they keep the tradition of watching Hocus Pocus every Halloween.