According to the stars of the Disney sequel, “Hocus Pocus” actor Thora Birch was considered for a role as a schoolteacher.
In the 1993 cult classic, Birch as Dani Sanderson, the youngest of three children who try and succeed in preventing the Sanderson sisters, a coven of newly-resurrected witches, from taking over their town of Salem.
While some actors from the original film participated in the sequel, which debuted last week on Disney+, Birch did not.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, “Hocus Pocus 2” performer Belissa Escobedo said that Birch was almost cast as a schoolteacher in the sequel.
“We nearly had Thora Birch,” stated Escobedo. “I recall speaking with Anne [Fletcher, the director] about a time when she was our instructor and we sought her assistance.”
Gilbert (Sam Richardson), a new character who operates a magic shop in the Sanderson sisters’ old house, was not included in the original script, according to Escobedo. According to Lilia Buckingham, Escobedo’s co-star, Birch would have played the mentor role in place of Escobedo.
EW claimed earlier this year that Birch was asked to portray an adult version of Dani, but had to decline owing to schedule difficulties with Netflix’s “Wednesday” series, in which she ultimately did not star.
Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, Whitney Peak as Becca, and Lilia Buckingham as Cassie are the protagonists of “Hocus Pocus 2.”
The Disney Company, Inc
She told Entertainment Tonight that she was “a little disappointed” because she was unable to attend.
The 40-year-old actor stated before to the sequel’s launch, “I was working on something else while production.” “Otherwise, I would have surely been on set with the females. I eagerly anticipate seeing what they do with it. I’m ecstatic because I’m aware that they’re taking a whole new approach.”
In the sequel, the Sanderson sisters return to Salem to inflict additional chaos. Original performers Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker portray them. Doug Jones reprises his role as Billy Butcherson, a zombie resurrected by the witches in the first film who turns against them.
None of the child actors who played Max (Omri Katz), Dani (Birch), and Allison (Vinessa Shaw) appear in the sequel.
Fletcher told Entertainment Weekly that bringing back all of the original cast members was “very challenging.”
“We wanted to incorporate all of the fan-favorite characters, and when we got down with all the elements and the tale, we asked ourselves, ‘How can we make this work?'” Fletcher stated. “People would comment, “They might be in the background!” And I’m like, really? You’re content to place the protagonists of the first film in the background? You will not be satisfied; rather, you will be enraged.”
The sequel to “Hocus Pocus” is available on Disney+.