Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher revealed that Thackery Binx will make an appearance in the upcoming sequel -- but not in the way fans might be used to.
Though a black cat is featured in the first trailer for the sequel, Fletcher confirmed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that the feline is a new addition to the Hocus Pocus story called Cobweb. She also confirmed that there will be "no talking cats" in Hocus Pocus 2. However, Binx will be making an appearance in some other form. "Billy [Butcherson] and Binx, I wanted back," she said. "We're having some fun with [Binx], so, we'll see."
While several original cast members will return for Hocus Pocus 2, it was confirmed in June that James Marsden, who voiced Binx in the original 1993 film, would not be reprising his role as the talking feline. This left some fans concerned about the future of the character in the sequel, though Fletcher noted that Binx was "the heart, for sure" of Hocus Pocus, and Cobweb is a way for the sequel to pay homage to the iconic role.
Hocus Pocus Returns to Salem
While Marsden will not lend his voice to the upcoming sequel, Hocus Pocus 2 will see the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Keith Najimy, who will all reprise their iconic roles as the Sanderson sisters. According to Midler, the decision to return for the sequel was an easy one. "They presented us with an outline, and after we picked ourselves up off the floor, because it's been 27 years, we looked at it and I think all of us agreed that it was pretty great," she said in a November 2020 interview.
While it's unclear how Binx will be returning, a first-look photo was revealed featuring Doug Jones' return as the zombie Billy Butcherson. In the same interview, Fletcher described Jones' return as "so surreal, it's so mind-blowing." The cast of Hocus Pocus 2 also includes franchise newcomers Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Hannah Waddingham, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen.
Hocus Pocus director Adam Shankman expressed his disappointment at not being able to reunite with his cast for the sequel, he will serve as an executive producer and stated when the sequel was announced that he is confident in Fletcher's ability as a director. "As heartbroken as I am that I won’t be able to direct my friends Bette, Sarah Jessica and Kathy in what is sure to be nothing short of a major event for Disney+ due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t be more pleased to be handing over the reins to Anne, who has brought so much laughter and joy into people’s lives with her previous work," he said.
Hocus Pocus is set to hit Disney+ on Sept. 30.
Source: Entertainment Weekly