Actor Doug Jones and Anne Fletcher exclusively tell EW that Billy is still a good zombie — and even has a "bromance" with Sam Richardson throughout the Disney sequel.
Only in the world of Hocus Pocus can the full, foggy silhouette of a zombie — set against the ghoulish backdrop of Salem on Halloween night — conjure warm, cozy feelings of adoration instead of ice-cold chills of terror.
"It does something to your soul, it's so surreal, it's so mind-blowing," Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher exclusively tells EW of seeing actor Doug Jones step back into the role of Billy Butcherson, the undead loverboy who returns from the grave to battle the resurrected Sanderson Sisters, for the first time in 29 years. "He's in a moment of betrayal [in the scene], so you're looking at this beloved character in such a way who's been hurt, and it blows your socks off. I'll never forget that."
In other words, there's a little more than ancient moths flowing from his decrepit lips, and definitely more heart beating — or, well, not beating, depending on how you look at it — in his chest: "I was really happy that Billy comes out of the grave talking," Jones says of the tortured, kind-hearted corpse he first portrayed in Disney's 1993 original. And he definitely has more to say this time around.
"It is seamless between the first movie and the second, that's the first thing I felt. It keeps the pureness and nostalgia alive and well for those who grew up with the first movie, and for any new fans we're gathering now will be excited about modernization for the current time we're in," he says, later adding: "Billy came back to me immediately, it was frightening how he's been alive while I've been playing other characters all these years, but, Billy's like, 'I wanted my chance again.'"
That chance begins in Fletcher's sequel as Billy's eternal slumber is interrupted after a brand new group of teens (Belissa Escobedo, Whitney Peak, and Lilia Buckingham) light the Black Flame Candle, ushering in a new reign of terror on contemporary Salem at the hands of the witchy trio (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). Jones confirms that Billy is still a friendly zombie, and that his backstory in the sequel further fleshes out the soul hiding beneath his decayed flesh.
"His hatred for the witches puts him on [the teens'] side," Jones says, promising that fans will get a clearer glimpse into his past relationship with Winifred "back in the day," before she poisoned him on May 1, 1693 for cheating on her with Sarah.
Later, Billy is still looking for love, albeit in a platonic sense. He finds it, Fletcher says, in what those who've seen the film have dubbed a "bromance" between Billy and Gilbert (Sam Richardson), the owner of the Salem Magic Shoppe — an occult tourist attraction operating out of the old Sanderson Sisters cottage.
"It's such a sweet, special little relationship and side story," Fletcher observes. Jones likens it to their "own little buddy film going off on the side as the movie plays out," which he hopes fans will find to be as "charming and lovely" as he does.
It's endlessly amusing, even to Jones, that people have such warm affection for what appears, on the surface, to be a visually horrifying character. But he says the millennial crew members all shrieked with joy when he first set foot on the Hocus Pocus 2 set in costume. Seeing himself back in Billy's 1600s garb, Jones, too, squealed internally, but for entirely different reasons.
"He was pretty decrepit to start with, and I come out of the grave looking exactly like two minutes have passed," he remembers, noting that Hocus Pocus makeup artist Tony Gardner reprised his role behind the scenes for the sequel — as did producers David Kirschner and Steven Haft, composer John Debney, and, well, Jones' wig.
"It was the exact same wig, they had it on a dummy on display for 29 years, they put it back on my head in the same style, it didn't even need a touch-up. The costume was rebuilt to be the same as the first one, so I looked exactly the same," Jones finishes. "It was so nostalgic for me to look in the mirror and go, 'You're 30-nothing years old again."
In Billy's case, it's more like 300. But, who's counting?
Hocus Pocus 2 premieres Sept. 30 on Disney+. See EW's exclusive first-look photo of Jones' return as Billy Butcherson above.
Director Anne Fletcher exclusively tells EW "there are some wonderful surprises in the mythology" of the central witches in the sequel's historical opening sequence.
Sistaaahs, gather 'round: Hocus Pocus 2 will tell a campfire tale of how the Sanderson Sisters rose to witchy prominence in its opening sequence.
Director Anne Fletcher exclusively tells EW that the film begins with a flashback to 1600s New England, where child actors Taylor Henderson, Juju Journey Brener, and Nina Kitchen will portray younger versions of Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) — with a young Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) also making an appearance years before becoming adult Winifred's lover.
"The opening sequence of the movie, we get some history of our witches and Billy. We get a little kiss — pardon the pun — of the Billy aspect of it and the world that they lived in and what happened to the witches. I always missed that in the first one. Like, what are the witches the way they are?" Fletcher says. "I did have that question, and the script came, and I loved the opening 1600s. I pushed that a little bit more, because I really wanted to point at, ever so slightly.... the idea that the 1600s and the now are the same. There's no difference. I just want to poke at the irony of it. But, in the joy of the film you get to see the young version of them and have a great time and understand the what and why of what happened to them."
She promises "some wonderful surprises in the mythology" of the trio, confirming that "they're not witches in the beginning," but that their origin story intertwines with that of the new threesome of modern-day teens (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham) who resurrect the Sanderson Sisters in contemporary Salem.
"[We] give each girl not only the same color in the vein of our witches — Becca [Peak] being Winnie, Izzy [Escobedo] being Mary, and Cassie [Buckinham] being Sarah — but their hairstyles in a way are similar. It's a modern-day twist on it," Fletcher finishes. "It's the intention of playing into that. At the end of the day, the movie is about sisterhood, it's about sticking together through thick and thin, and being there for one another."
Actors who won't be there — at least physically — for the Hocus Pocus sequel are OG actors Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Thora Birch, Larry Bagby, Tobias Jelinek, and Jason Marsden, as EW previously confirmed that nearly all of the youngsters who appeared in the first film won't reprise their roles in Hocus Pocus 2. Other newcomers to the series this time around include Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, Hannah Waddingham, and RuPaul's Drag Race alums Kahmora Hall, Ginger Minj, and Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté.
The new film follows the aforementioned modern-day teenagers as they attempt to thwart the witches' resurgence in Salem nearly 30 years after Max (Katz), Allison (Shaw), and Dani (Birch) lit the Black Flame Candle and brought the Sanderson Sisters back to Earth for a reign of terror on Halloween night.
Director Anne Fletcher exclusively reveals to EW why Max and Allison do not appear in Disney's upcoming sequel Hocus Pocus 2.
Neither the Black Flame Candle nor a spell from Winifred Sanderson's beloved book can resurrect a pair of Hocus Pocus OGs for Disney's upcoming sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic.
EW can exclusively reveal that actors Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw — who previously played Salem teens Max and Allison in the first film — will not return to be tormented by the Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) in Hocus Pocus 2.
Sequel director Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) tells EW that they tried to weave the teens back into the story, but that "it was difficult" — even in a cameo capacity, which she feels might've been a distraction from the new movie's plot.
"We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, how do we make this work?" Fletcher explains. "It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You're trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo. People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry."
Outside of the actresses behind the witches, Doug Jones is the only returning actor from the first movie. The Shape of Water actor once again steps into the decrepit body of Billy Butcherson, Winifred's zombified ex-lover, to help thwart the ladies' reign of terror across contemporary Salem.
In March, EW also exclusively confirmed that Thora Birch, who played Max's younger sister, Dani, in the prior installment was initially considered for a supporting role in Hocus Pocus 2, but scheduling conflicts with her ultimately nixed role in Netflix's Wednesday series prevented her from joining.
We also revealed that fellow Hocus Pocus actors Larry Bagby and Tobias Jelinek — who portrayed the fan-favorite high school bullies who terrorize Max throughout the first film — similarly do not reprise their characters in the sequel.
Though a black cat makes a brief appearance in the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer, Fletcher said that it is not a resurrected version of Thackery Binx, but instead a new feline friend. EW reported in June that Jason Marsden, the voice of Thackery Binx in animal form, will not return to voice the character.
New additions to the cast include RuPaul's Drag Race queens Kahmora Hall, Ginger Minj, and Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté as drag versions of the sisters, Sam Richardson as the owner of a magic shop operating in the old Sanderson home, Tony Hale as the mayor of Salem, and Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham in a mystery role.
Hocus Pocus 2 follows a new group of Salem teens (Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, and Whitney Peak) who resurrect the Sanderson Sisters for a new reign of terror nearly 30 years after Max, Allison, and Dani did so on Halloween night.
Disney+ will release Hocus Pocus 2 via its streaming service on Sept. 30.
"No talking cats!" director Anne Fletcher exclusively confirms to EW, adding that she had "some fun" exploring ways to bring Binx back in another way.
If, like Emily's ghost wandering a Salem cemetery, you've spent approximately 300 years searching for Thackery Binx (in the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer, of course), keep looking. In his place, however, is another adorable black cat that EW can reveal exclusive details about.
"That's Cobweb!" director Anne Fletcher tells EW of the cat who briefly appears in the teaser for the upcoming film. That's right: Disney's long-awaited sequel is set to continue the saga of the witchy Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) with a new feline accomplice, who belongs to a new series character, Gilbert, played by Sam Richardson.
Though she sports a similar black coat, Cobweb won't be endowed with Binx's curse: There are "no talking cats" in Hocus Pocus 2, Fletcher confirms.
Instead, Cobweb takes up residence in Gilbert's occult attraction, the Salem Magic Shoppe, a converted store that occupies the same building the Sanderson Sisters used to call home.
Still, Fletcher explains, Binkx might be back in more creative ways, though not in cat form, as EW previously confirmed that original voice actor Jason Marsden would not reprise his role in the movie.
Fletcher calls Binx "the heart, for sure" of the first film, which was why the sequel pays homage to his legacy via Cobweb, but also nods to his actual existence in an opening sequence set in the 1600s.
"Billy and Binx, I wanted back," she explains of Winifred's zombified ex-lover, portrayed by veteran actor Doug Jones, though she's hesitant to reveal just how Binx will re-emerge in the film. "We're having some fun with him, so, we'll see."
EW also exclusively confirmed that original stars Vinessa Shaw (Allison), Omri Katz (Max), Thora Birch (Dani), and bullies Jay (Tobias Jelinek) and Ice (Larry Bagby) will also not return for the sequel, leaving Midler, Parker, Najimy, and Jones as the sole cast members who appear in both films.
Still, a wealth of talent behind the camera came back to conjure more Hocus Pocus, including producers David Kirschner and Steven Haft as well as musician John Debney, who composed the original movie's now-iconic score.
More new cast members joining Hocus Pocus 2 include Gossip Girl's Whitney Peak, Dirt's Lilia Buckingham, and American Horror Stories' Belissa Escobedo as the central teens attempting to thwart the witches' return to Salem. RuPaul's Drag Race queens Kahmora Hall, Ginger Minj, and Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté also have small roles as drag versions of the Sanderson Sisters, while Tony Hale portrays Salem's mayor. Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham also has a mystery role in the project.
Fans can cozy up to Cobweb even further when Hocus Pocus 2 releases Sept. 30 on Disney+.
La news sur le chat Cobweb m'intéresse à un point Vivement la sortie du film ! Je suis curieuse aussi de voir comment Anne Fletcher a ramené Binx dans le film, d'une autre manière que celle qu'on pourrait attendre. Via Cobweb ? J'avoue que les gros pavés en anglais me donnent ni envie de lire, ni de faire l'effort de traduire. Je me fie à google trad mais où est la limite dans la fiabilité de la traduction ?
Bref, il n'y a qu'à attendre la sortie le 30 septembre pour savoir ! Très pressée !
On dirait qu'Élisabeth est bien de retour, je ne rêve pas ?
Ouiiiii, je me suis dit exactement la même chose ! Je suis super content de la retrouver, je trouve qu’Élisabeth Wiener colle parfaitement à Bette Middler, elles ont toutes le deux ce côté "rock et rebelle" que j'adore
J'avais eu peur avec la bande-annonce disponible sur Disney+, c'était Michèle Bardollet* qu'on entend sur la seule phrase des sorcières. Je crois reconnaître Marie Vincent mais sans certitude. * Elle remplace peut-être Monique Thierry décédée il y a tout juste un an.
Seven
Âge : 21 Messages : 502 Localisation : Dans mes chaussures Inscription : 07/07/2021
Pour la VF de Mary je crois plutôt reconnaitre Nathalie Homs (Once Upon a Time) quand elle dit « j'vais par là et toi par là ou... » mais sans certitude non plus, faut dire qu'avec une seule phrase c'est difficile de savoir qui c'est Car ça m'étonne un peu que Marie Vincent remplace Monique Thierry étant donné qu'elle faisait déjà la voix de Sarah dans le premier film.
D'ailleurs, je n'ai pas l'impression d'entendre Marie Vincent quand Sarah dit « chaos, chaos, cacao, caraco » mais plutôt Martine Irzenski (Sex and the City) mais encore une fois sans certitude
Pour la VF de Mary je crois plutôt reconnaitre Nathalie Homs (Once Upon a Time) quand elle dit « j'vais par là et toi par là ou... » mais sans certitude non plus, faut dire qu'avec une seule phrase c'est difficile de savoir qui c'est Car ça m'étonne un peu que Marie Vincent remplace Monique Thierry étant donné qu'elle faisait déjà la voix de Sarah dans le premier film.
D'ailleurs, je n'ai pas l'impression d'entendre Marie Vincent quand Sarah dit « chaos, chaos, cacao, caraco » mais plutôt Martine Irzenski (Sex and the City) mais encore une fois sans certitude
Vu que Marie Vincent n'a doublé Sarah Jessica Parker qu'une seule fois (en l'occurence dans le 1) et que Martine Irzenski est depuis devenu sa voix francaise la plus régulière, c'est plus logique que ce soit cette dernière qui double Sarah.
Personne ne veut être enfermé ici pour toujours.
Quand les cloches sonnent, les cloches questionnent dans les tours de Notre-Dame... L'homme est-il un monstre ou le monstre un homme ?
Je me suis un peu emmêlé les pinceaux sur les voix, quoi qu'il en soit, une continuité vocale pour un même personnage est plus appréciable quand on regarde un film et sa suite comme pour Scream (Courtney Cox) par exemple. Après y'a parfois toute une (il)logique des directeurs artistiques et des distributeurs.
J'adore !! Même si je devrais éviter de regarder et attendre...
La première vidéo qui donne 10 raisons de regarder Hocus Pocus 2 est vraiment drôle. Je n'ai pas tout compris mais l'énergie et l'enthousiasme sont communicatifs !
La deuxième vidéo "behind the scene" est visuellement attractive. Pour le contenu, j'ai moins compris que la première mais ce n'est pas grave. Comme ça, je peux regarder sans être vraiment spoliée
Princess Meg Modérateur
Âge : 28 Messages : 12602 Localisation : Dans la citadelle de Vahla Ha'Nesh. Inscription : 07/06/2013
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