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The Sanderson Sisters are back in the first 'Hocus Pocus 2' trailer

Ethan Alter
·Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
·3 min read

Halloween is coming early this year. September 30 sees the Disney+ premiere of Hocus Pocus 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1993 box office disappointment-turned-annual tradition. And the Sanderson Sisters appear to be in fine form in the just-released first trailer for the film, which reunites Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as their witchy alter egos. (Watch the trailer above.)

Set nearly three decades after the events of the original film, Hocus Pocus 2 follows a new generation of high school students who accidentally summon Salem's premiere 17th-century troublemakers. Best friends Becca, Cassie and Izzy (played by Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckinghman and Belissa Escobedo respectively) are the trio who inadvertently summon the Sanderson siblings, and then have to prevent them from once again wreaking havoc on the town. "Lock up your children!" announces Midler's lead sister, Winifred. "Yes, Salem ... we're back!"

Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker return for more Halloween hijinks in Hocus Pocus 2. (Photo: Disney Enterprises, Inc.)
Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker return for more Halloween hijinks in Hocus Pocus 2. (Photo: Disney Enterprises, Inc.)

Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment two years ago, The Rose star called the first Hocus Pocus "one of the most fun experiences I ever had," which made the idea of signing on for a sequel a no-brainer. And Midler also teased that Hocus Pocus 2 would feature a new variation on the showstopping sequence from the original movie, where Winifred brings the house down with her rendition of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins standard, "I Put a Spell on You."

"[He] made the song immortal; I just cribbed it," Midler said at the time, adding that she wasn't sure what song Winifred would slay this time around. The Hocus Pocus 2 trailer confirms that she'll be warming up her pipes again, though. At the end of the teaser, a Salem resident warmly greets the sisters and says, "I bet you're looking for the stage." With a sly grin, Winifred replies, "Always."

On Twitter, fans are ready to summon Hocus Pocus 2 into their lives in September, especially as it'll help distract from the real perils happening in the world right now.

Hocus Pocus 2 premieres Sept. 30 on Disney+