‘Hocus Pocus 2’: The Mystery Behind Who Really Composed the Song ‘Come Little Children’
Hocus Pocus fans were thrilled to hear “Come Little Children” return in the 2022 sequel. The song is credited to John Debney, an American songwriter and composer known for scoring dozens of hit movies, including Elf and Iron Man 2. Here’s a look at Debney’s career and some interesting facts about the beloved song from Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2.
John Debney produced the soundtracks for the 1993 Disney movie and 2022 sequel
Debney is the musical mind behind the Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 soundtracks. The American composer started his career in the early ’80s writing music for various series and films, including several Disney projects.
His notable works from the decade include the Fame series, the Police Academy franchise, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, and Young Riders. The last earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition in a Series.
In the ’90s, Debney produced music for dozens of TV projects, including Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Cape, which landed him another Emmy win. He also worked on films like Liar Liar, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Inspector Gadget.
But Debney produced some of his most famous works in the 2000s. He scored blockbusters like Spy Kids, The Princess Diaries, The Scorpion King, and Bruce Almighty. In 2004, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score for The Passion of the Christ.
In addition, Debney worked with Sam Raimi on the soundtracks for Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. And he collaborated with Jon Favreau on four films: Elf, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Iron Man 2, and The Jungle Book. Some of Debney’s more recent projects include Young Sheldon, The Orville, and Marry Me.
Who really wrote the ‘Hocus Pocus’ song ‘Come Little Children’?
Debney is credited with producing the score for Hocus Pocus, including the song “Come Little Children.” But he didn’t write that song.
According to writer D. Melhoff, when he tried to find the writer and composer of “Come Little Children” so he could reference it in a book, he discovered the song was written by Brock Walsh and composed by James Horner.
“I actually contacted John Debney first because he’s the one credited for the music of Hocus Pocus,” Melhoff recalls on his website. “Alas, I was informed that he didn’t come onto the project until after ‘Sarah’s Theme’ had been written.”
“The original composer was James Horner,” he continues. “But when I tried contacting him, his agent said that since Debney was the one who got the final music credit, it was best if I talked to the studio attached to the film.”
Horner was an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning American composer. His notable scores include Field of Dreams, Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind, Troy, and Avatar. He also composed Céline Dion’s iconic “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. The lauded musician died in a plane crash in 2015.
‘Come Little Children’ appears in ‘Hocus Pocus’ and ‘Hocus Pocus 2’
1993’s Hocus Pocus introduced Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson — three witches resurrected after hundreds of years. The sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, brings the Sanderson sisters back to Salem. And like before, they hope to secure immortality and eternal youth through innocent children’s souls.
Over the past 30 years, Hocus Pocus has become a Halloween classic. And some of its beloved music and style returned for the sequel.
In the first movie, Parker’s character, Sarah, sings “Come Little Children” — also known as “Sarah’s Theme” — to lure children for the witches’ wicked plan. In Hocus Pocus 2, the song is sung by Hannah Waddingham’s character, Mother Witch, as she recruits the young Sanderson sisters.
