When a sequel is made decades after the original, it’s safe to assume there are going to be a lot of callbacks and returning cast members. While Hocus Pocus 2 isn’t without its fair share of nods to the original film, it doesn’t fully rely on them. This is kind of surprising for a Disney movie as they tend not to hold back.
Some fans might leave Hocus Pocus 2 wishing there were more callbacks to the first movie. Well, of the jokes and nods in here, what were some of the best? There will naturally be spoilers for both movies, so now is a good time to rewatch that classic before jumping into yet another sequel on Disney+.
8 A Fly By Opening
The first movie opens up with a fly-by scenario, showcasing the open plains and forests surrounding Salem. The movie then closes in on the Sanderson Sisters experimenting on a young girl in their hut.
Hocus Pocus 2 opens with a raven flying over Salem, except that it doesn’t go into the woods to their hut. It goes right to the village of Salem wherein things begin with a younger version of Winifred stomping through town. The fly-by camera angle and opening with a flashback could be considered two callbacks, although they’re not major revelations.
7 The Calming Circle
After the Sanderson Sisters get chased out of town, they find themselves in the woods. Unsure of what to do, they begin a calming circle to try and wrestle their brains to cool down. They do this throughout the first movie as well whenever things aren’t going well for them. Usually, it was when Max and his gang messed up their plans to eat children.
There are other references to the calming circle throughout Hocus Pocus 2 as well by other characters. It would not be surprising to see this turn into some kind of nerdy meditation in reality.
6 A Black Cat And The Book
Gilbert is sort of a wannabe mage in the making and the proprietor of a magic shop that Becca and Izzy frequent. The shop is actually the old house of the Sanderson Sisters. He has a lot of their gear on display and hidden away, like their magic Book.
When the Book’s cage is revealed, a black cat jumps on top of it as if it is guarding this Book. Fans may think this was Thackery Binx again, but it was just an ordinary black cat named Cobweb. It was a misdirect but a nod to the original movie nonetheless.
5 More Musical Numbers
One of the highlights from the original movie was when the Sanderson Sisters interrupted Max’s parent's party to perform a special rendition of “I Put a Spell on You,” which was originally performed by Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins.
There are not just one but two musical numbers in Hocus Pocus 2. When they come back they immediately break into song with “The Witches Are Back.” This is a remixed parody of “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John. Later on, they also perform a remixed rendition of “One Way or Another” which was originally performed by Blondie.
4 We’re Back!
The theme of “we’re back” is a nod to the original movie as well, besides the witches breaking out into their song and dance routines. The Sanderson Sisters, as well as many characters throughout Hocus Pocus 2, bring up the fact that they’re back again again. It’s a good running bit that could get old for some but might be hilarious for others.
The Sanderson Sisters are not the only returning characters, though, as Billy Butcherson makes a return to the film franchise. It's not fully explained how, so it’s one of those mysteries left up in the air.
3 Salt Circles
One of the most pivotal moments in the first film is when Allison discovers salt can protect them against the evil witches. She protects herself and Max with salt as the Sanderson Sisters make off with Dani. Salt plays a bigger role in the sequel. It is first used to protect Becca and Izzy in Walgreens after the witches figure out their ploy.
Izzy has a great line after this too with, “Whoa, salt can do that” after the witches get blasted back in the store. After that, Becca and the others manage to trap all three of them in a circle of salt within Cassie’s garage.
2 Vacuums For Brooms
Brooms are the vehicle of choice for witches in popular media, such as in the first movie and other pop culture hits like the Harry Potter films. The Sanderson Sisters are left without enough brooms when they get resurrected in 1993. Mary has to settle for a vacuum in the original movie, and she gets stuck with a vacuum in the sequel too.
The big difference here is that she gets two Roomba-like vacuum robots. This makes the scenario funnier and also helps the witches out of a jam later as these robots devour the salt circle in Cassie’s garage.
1 Showed Hocus Pocus In The Sequel
One of the most meta moments in Hocus Pocus 2 is when the Sanderson Sisters are flying around Salem. They are looking for Mayor Traske as their musical mob marches through town. Mary peeks into a window to see some people watching the original movie. It’s the scene where Gary Marshall, who is dressed like the devil, and his wife, played by his sister Penny Marshall, are arguing over the witches coming into their house.
The witches are never seen, which is good as that might be too confusing even for a powerful witch like Mary.