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Hocus Pocus 2 is Anne Fletcher's sequel to the 1993 film of the same name. Hocus Pocus 2 marks the return of the Sanderson sisters, who were persecuted during the Salem witch trials in 1693, and were resurrected by unaware teenagers. However, by the film's end, Salem initiated a new witch in its history.
Featuring actors Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, who reprised their roles as the Salem Witches, namely Winifred "Winnie" Sanderson, Sarah Sanderson, and Mary Sanderson respectively, Hocus Pocus 2 premiered on Disney+ on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Hocus Pocus 2 began with Salem, 1653, where a 16-year-old Winnie walked back to her house as she knocked everyone that came in her way. Winnie's younger sisters, Mary and Sarah, revealed that it was their eldest sister's 16th birthday and made her a jiggly cake. A furious Winnie disclosed that the Reverend had asked her to marry a guy that she did not wish to marry, simply because she was getting old and thus, must marry.
As the younger sisters tried to distract Winnie by showing her the present they had planned, the whole village and the Reverend knocked on their door. The priest said that he "mercifully" gave Winnie another chance to decide.
When Winnie reacted to the guy that was brought up as a match, and his berating words, she was shut up. The Reverend banished her from the village after she revealed that she and her "legendary lover" Billy Butcherson had shared a kiss in the graveyard, thereby making them soulmates.
As a result of her decision to deny a man and her kiss with Billy, the Reverend and the villagers further tried to take Winnie's sisters away when a disturbance broke out.
The three sisters grabbed the chance and ran into the forbidden woods. There, they met the Mother Witch (played by Hannah Waddingham), who gave Winnie the Book of Spells as a present for her birthday. She also recognized Winnie as the one who scared the villagers because they thought that she would corrupt them all. "New World. Same story."
Winnie opened the book and came across the all-powerful spell, Magicae Maxima. The title card of the film followed, as the scene jumped to present-day Salem.
Read on to find out what is new in this retelling of a witch story called Hocus Pocus 2.
Hocus Pocus 2 ending explained: Who is the new witch (or, witches) in Salem?
How did Hocus Pocus 2 begin?
The first film, Hocus Pocus, ended with Max, Dani, and Allison killing the witches on Halloween 1993. The sight of the witch sisters turning to dust upon sunrise was witnessed by a young Gilbert, who now runs a magic shop in Salem, in Hocus Pocus 2.
His regular customers included 16-year-olds Becca and Izzy, who used to be joined by their third best friend Cassie, until the latter started hanging out with her boyfriend. This irked both Becca and Izzy, who stopped inviting Cassie over.
On Becca's birthday, she visited Gilbert's shop, where he was performing the story of the Sanderson sisters, and gave Becca the Black Flame Candle as a birthday gift.
An unaware Becca lit the candle along with Izzy in the same part of the forest, also considered the sacred altar for the witches, where Winnie and her sisters had met the Mother Witch.
Thunder, lightning, and earthquakes followed, to give way to the resurrected Sanderson sisters. The three witches found Becca and Izzy hiding, who decided to thwart the former's plan of killing them by lying to them that they were 40-year-olds.
Becca and Izzy fooled the sisters and made them believe that child-soul filled creams and lotions were now available in stores, and need not be prepared in cauldrons. The sisters thus ate lotions, face-masks, sprays, and every other skin care available at a departmental store until they realized that Becca and Izzy had lied to them.
While the two friends were able to escape and return to Gilbert's to inquire after the candle, the sisters landed at the store. They saw the pamphlets of Mr. Traske, who was going to run for mayor, and identified him as the Reverend. It seems that Cassie's family were the descendants of the Reverend who had banished Winnie and her sisters from Salem.
Vengeance consumed the trio and they decided to conjure an all-powerful spell from the Book. One of the ingredients required the enemy's blood. And because Traske was the enemy-in-sight, the witches landed in his place. Becca and Izzy had arrived earlier to caution Cassie, and decided to ambush the witches to prevent them from coming across Traske.
Becca distracted the witches as Izzy and Cassie trapped them in a circle of salt – a protection against witches, which was also shown in the first film.
Meanwhile, Gilbert's head was on the line after the witches asked him to gather all the required ingredients as they left for Traske's place. A perturbed Gilbert went to the graveyard to dig up Billy Butcherson's head, since it made for the lover's head required for the ritual. Zombie Billy clarified to Gilbert that he was not Winnie's lover since they had shared one kiss and nothing else.
How did Hocus Pocus 2 end?
Becca, Izzy, and Cassie underestimated the witches as they left them unwatched in the salt circle. The witches freed themselves and captured Cassie, who they took to the sacred altar in the forbidden woods.
As the ritual began, Gilbert, who was also present, saw Cassie and demanded that she be let go. But the witches refused, and sent Gilbert flying away. Both Izzy and Becca arrived at the grounds, only to realize that the ritual of becoming all-powerful had been conducted.
Becca also learnt that she herself was a witch after she discovered the powers that helped her save Cassie and Izzy from the witches. Initially, only Winnie held the power of electro kinesis, but after the ritual, Mary and Sarah could spit colored lightning from their fingers as well.
But Winnie and her sisters missed out on the warning of the Magicae Maxima incantation, which the Book was skeptical about as well. As explained by Becca later, the spell required the chanter to sacrifice what they loved the most. Shortly after acquiring their newly-found powers, Mary and Sarah disseminated in the dust.
They were what Winnie loved the most, and became her sacrifice to become all-powerful. A distraught Winnie sought help from Becca and her coven, Izzy, and Cassie, to reconcile her with her sisters. Becca and her friends read a spell that the Book suggested, and instead of returning her sisters from the dead, Winnie was sent to them.
Billy Butcherson was also freed from Winnie's curse and bid adieu for his eternal rest.
Before leaving, Winnie also declared that Becca was the new witch and the trio as the new coven in Salem. Hocus Pocus 2 ended with Becca, Izzy, and Cassie returning for their planned sleepover at Izzy's house along with the Book.
Hocus Pocus 2 is currently streaming on Disney+.
