Every Disney fan knows the company is bringing the beloved “Hocus Pocus” film back for a sequel. However, what they may not know is this fan favorite from the first is not returning for the second.
We’d like to start by mentioning that the original film’s beloved characters of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will all be returning as the Sanderson sisters. Although, Thora Birch, who portrayed Dani Dannison in the first film will not be back for the second.
This news comes from Entertainment Weekly, who report a source close to Birch that said the actress was asked to return in a supporting role as an adult version of Dani, but obligations to “Wednesday,” Netflix’s “Addams Family” spinoff series, created a scheduling conflict. Birch left Wednesday back in December due to a personal matter. The report also noted that if Birch been able to be part of Hocus Pocus 2, the film would have seen Dani working to help Becca (Gossip Girl’s Whitney Peak), Cassie (Dirt’s Lila Buckingham), and Izzy (American Horror Stories’ Belissa Escobedo) with their own efforts to stop the Sanderson sisters as they seek revenge on Salem 29 years after the events of the first film.
“I am beyond thrilled to be involved in the sequel to a film that is as beloved as Hocus Pocus,” director Anne Fletcher shared in a statement last fall. “Fans around the world have embraced these characters and have made this film a Halloween tradition whose popularity continues to grow, and how lucky am I to be back at Disney with these three extraordinarily talented ladies in the iconic roles they created, as well as our fabulous new additions to the cast?”
Hocus Pocus 2 is set to debut this fall on Disney+.
What are your thoughts Thora Birch not returning for Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+? Let us know in the comments!
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