Oh, look. Another glorious Hocus Pocus movie.
That's right, Disney+ released the highly anticipated sequel to the 1993 cult classic Sept. 30, reuniting our favorite witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. And, instead of running amok, amok, amok, we combed through every scene of Hocus Pocus 2 to find all of the Easter eggs that called back to the original.
From hidden costumes to favorite lines, we're happy to report that Hocus Pocus 2 is chock-full of tributes to the first film. This isn't necessarily surprising, as Bette told E! News at the Hocus Pocus 2 premiere that the fans are "the reason this movie got made."
"It is very sweet," Bette said while reflecting on the love for the Sanderson Sisters. "Even though they are killers. There is something about the bond between the sisters."
Kathy expressed a similar sentiment to E! News, as she dubbed the original movie "a crazy runaway classic."
So, it's safe to say that Hocus Pocus 2 is for the fans.
For all the ways Hocus Pocus 2 called back to the original movie, keep reading:
In the sequel's opening scene, viewers get an inside look into the Sanderson Sisters' origin story, which includes an attempted arranged marriage, a loyal spider and an escape to the woods. It's in this wooded area that we see Mary suggest doing a "calming circle," something they did as chaos ensued in the original Hocus Pocus movie.
The flashback to the sisters' youth also reveals the origins of Sarah's "Come Little Children" anthem. Before Sarah used the song to manipulate the children of Salem, Hannah Waddingham's Witch Mother sang it in the Forbidden Forest.
When Winifred first gets her iconic spell book in the opening of Hocus Pocus 2, she reveals the grimoire has a "cat transformation" incantation. Fans of the original film will recall that this spell would later be used on Thackery Binx to turn him into a black cat.
In present-day Salem, the once closed down Sanderson Witch Museum has since been transformed into a local magic shop. Though the shop has been updated somewhat, the original infrastructure remains—as does the Sanderson Sisters' spell book and the melted Black Flame Candle.
A new Black Flame Candle emerged in Hocus Pocus 2, allowing Winifred, Sarah and Mary to return after their demise in the first movie. This time around, the Black Flame Candle was lit by an aspiring witch Becca (Whitney Peak), who uses the candle during a birthday spell in the forbidden forest.
In an exclusive interview with E! News, Lilia Buckingham, who plays Cassie in the sequel, revealed that her final costume is a callback to Max (Omri Katz) and Allison (Vinessa Shaw)'s looks in the movie. "Where I'm wearing that cardigan and the tie-dye," she explained. "They're supposed to be callbacks to Max and Allison, when she's wearing that cardigan and he's wearing the tie dye shirt."
Belissa Escobedo, who plays Izzy, shared that her burgundy cardigan also paid tribute to Allison's iconic red jacket in the first film. "Remember, she has that hooded red thing," she noted. "That's like a callback for mine."
Though their musical performances in the sequel do not live up to their epic rendition of "I Put a Spell on You" in Hocus Pocus, the new show-stopping numbers prove that the Sanderson Sisters—or really Bette, Sarah and Kathy—still have it.
During their first face off with the Sanderson Sisters, Becca and her best friend Izzy use salt to deflect the witches' magic. Allison used salt several times in Hocus Pocus as a way to protect herself and her friends from the Winifred, Sarah and Mary.
In the first Hocus Pocus film, Winifred, Sarah and Mary are forced to use a random broom, mop and vacuum, respectively, after their witches' brooms are stolen by trick-or-treaters. Similarly, in Hocus Pocus 2, the sisters use a broom, Swiffer and robot vacuums when they find themselves without brooms.
Co-star Doug Jones, who plays Winifred's deceased ex lover Billy Butcherson, applauded the sequel's updated broom alternatives for the Sanderson Sisters. "When Kathy Najimy came out with those Roombas, I was like, 'That is the most brilliant gag," he told E! News. "That became quite a story plot point, too. They helped in the end."
Like she did in 1993's Hocus Pocus, Winifred calls out for her beloved spell book by yelling, "Boooook!"
Hocus Pocus 2 has plenty of new things to enjoy, but the film makes sure to call back to some of the fans' favorite lines. Specifically, Sarah chants "Amok! Amok! Amok!" while flying on a broom. Winifred says, "I haven't lost my touch," when using magic to lock Becca and Izzy in a dungeon. Finally, Mary says "Buh-byee" in the hilarious way that she does throughout the new film.
Gilbert, played by Sam Richardson, reveals that he was a trick-or-treater out on Halloween night in 1993. As he details to the witches, he became obsessed with the Sanderson Sisters after seeing them take flight. He also mentions that bullies stole his candy earlier in the evening, likely referring to Hocus Pocus bullies Ice and Jay.
Despite climbing into his grave at the end of Hocus Pocus, zombie Billy Butcherson returns for the sequel—but in the same level of decomposition. And, as Whitney told E! News, Billy's headstone can be spotted on the back of the magic shop's trolley.
Hocus Pocus 2 pays tribute to the late Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall's Hocus Pocus cameos by showing a clip of their scene on a Salem homeowner's TV. The movie also has two Salem residents dressed as Master Devil and Medusa Lady for Halloween.