‘We’re back, witches’: Watch the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer ahead of this weekend’s release

Mark your calendars! The Sanderson sisters will be back to conjure some magic on September 30. Even better, Disney has released the much-anticipated trailer for “Hocus Pocus 2.”

Like the original, which was released in 1993, the sequel stars Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi as the Sanderson sisters, three witches who wreak hilarious havoc on the town of Salem, Massachusetts. 

The sequel picks up nearly 30 years after the Black Flame Candle was lit, resurrecting the witches on their hunt for children. The trailer features two teen girls (played by “Gossip Girl”‘s Whitney Peak and “American Horror Story”‘s Belissa Escobedo), who perform a spell that reignites the Black Flame Candle and revives the witches once again.

“Lock up your children,” Midler’s character Winifred squeals. “Yes, Salem, we’re back!”

We next see the sisters at an outdoor carnival, where they are immediately recognized. “Hey, it’s the Sanderson Sisters,” one of the fair’s workers says. “I bet you’re looking for the stage?”

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“Always,” Midler’s character replies. We can only assume—hope?—that they’ll reprise their performance of “I Put a Spell on You” like in the original.

Despite its sometimes cringey humor, the original film is a cult classic and it’s a long-time fave, especially among Millennials. With the film streaming on Disney+, parents who loved the original will soon able to watch both the original and sequel with their kids. 

“Fans around the world have embraced these characters and have made this film a Halloween tradition whose popularity continues to grow,” sequel director Anne Fletcher said last year in a statement about the upcoming film. 

“I don’t think any of us who were making it at the time thought Hocus Pocus would have such a long life,” Parker told Entertainment Weekly for the movie’s 25th anniversary. “People tell me all the time they grew up watching it, and that they still watch it. I think it’s wonderful.”

Though details about the plot of “Hocus Pocus 2” have been sparse, according to Entertainment Weekly, the sequel reportedly follows three teens who try to stop the Sanderson sisters’ plot for revenge. Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Thora Birch would not reprise the role of Dani Dennison, but that “Ted Lasso” Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham has a role in the film, along with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars Ginger Minj, Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté, and Kahmora Hall.

Fans have been shrieking with delight since footage from “Hocus Pocus 2” was first shown back in May at Disney’s upfronts presentation.

Grab your spell books and mark your calendars.

“’Tis time, sistahs!”

A version of this story was published June 28, 2022. It has been updated.