5 Creepy ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Details You Missed
Disney+ recently dropped the long-awaited sequel to one of the most beloved movies of the spooky season: Hocus Pocus (1993). The Halloween classic stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, three witches from 17th-century Salem resurrected in a plot to devour the souls of modern-day children. Now, the witches are back in Hocus Pocus 2 with a few new spells and a hefty dose of nostalgia. Here are five creepy Hocus Pocus 2 details identified by Flicks in the City that give a stealthy shoutout to the 1993 Disney classic.
1. The eye is a subtle recurring ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ detail
No, you’re not just seeing things — eyes are hidden everywhere throughout Hocus Pocus 2. If you look closely, you’ll spot the eye motif on several characters’ costumes, starting with the embroidered eye on the bodice of the Witch Mother, played by Hannah Waddingham. It also appears on Gilbert’s hat, Izzy’s scarf, and Winifred’s dress.
This recurring Hocus Pocus 2 detail winks at the eye on the cover of the spellbook (aka “Book”) that the Witch Mother gives Winifred (aka “Winnie”) as a child. Finally, the straps used to restrain Book in Gilbert’s magic shop resemble a tiny grille — a deliberate reference to Hannibal Lecter’s muzzle in 1991’s Silence of the Lambs.
2. A cauldron calls back to Binx the cat
In Hocus Pocus 2, the Sanderson sisters’ old house is now the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe, where “Gilbert the Great” sells potions and fake black-flame candles to tourists. When Gilbert peddles the witches’ tale to his audience early in the movie, you might spot a large cauldron brimming with plush black cats.
It’s a nod to the original film’s Thackery Binx, whom the Sanderson sisiter transformed into a talking black cat. We’re also briefly introduced to Gilbert’s black cat, Cobweb, who doesn’t talk — as far as we know.
3. Sarah’s love of spiders returns
Sarah Jessica Parker played Sarah Sanderson as a blond witch with a fierce fondness for spiders in the original Hocus Pocus. In one memorable scene, she even devoured a spider whole. The affinity continues in the sequel, where early on, we see a bubbly young Sarah give Winnie an “adorable” spider for her 16th birthday.
In addition, costume designer Salvador Perez incorporated Sarah’s love of arachnids into her updated costume, embroidering delicate spiders into the bodice of her dress and crocheting her sleeves into exquisite spider webs made of cashmere yarn.
4. The calming circle is another ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ detail that nods to the original
In the first Hocus Pocus movie, Mary Sanderson coaxes her sisters more than once into a calming circle, encouraging them to think of soothing thoughts — specifically, rabid bats, the Black Death, and “Mummy’s scorpion pie.”
In Hocus Pocus 2, we see the origin of this therapeutic method when the young witches form a calming circle where they call out the awful things they love to ease their fears in the Forbidden Forest.
5. The sequel reprises the ‘Come Little Children’ song
Fans of the original movie remember the mesmerizing song “Come Little Children,” which Sarah sings to lure young Emily Binx to her demise. The Sanderson sisters use the haunting melody again 300 years later while they hunt Dani, Max, and Allison in Salem circa 1993.
And yet again, we hear the same tune in Hocus Pocus 2, this time used by the Witch Mother to enchant the three sisters early in the film. Young Sarah especially seems smitten with the song, ultimately leading her to specialize in the art of luring children.
