Hocus Pocus 2: Rise Of The Elderwitch: 5 Reasons The Sequel Is A Great Idea (& 5 Why It Should Be Left Alone)

It’s official, the cult witch comedy Hocus Pocus is coming back its sequel which is set to be released on Disney Plus, titled Hocus Pocus 2: Rise Of The Elderwitch. The first film has tremendous repeat value and has survived as a go-to Halloween watch for decades. Not to mention the Halloween costumes and cosplay opportunities that it has given its fandom.

It’s a great time to be a witch in Hollywood, but Hocus Pocus is not without its flaws. Its sequel, which is bringing back the original cast of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, could either make the first film a sharper watch by putting things in a better perspective, or it could make things worse for its legacy.

10 Great Idea: Hollywood’s Love For Witchcraft Is Back

Hollywood is finally getting witches right and is acknowledging the feminist legacy associated with witchcraft. The Suspiria reboot was a great start and laid a lot of groundwork for the contemporary treatment of witchcraft. Now, with The Witches reboot and the reboot of The Craft, clearly there’s an audience for a Hocus Pocus sequel, even if it is out on a streaming platform and not the big screen.

Since the original cast has agreed to be a part of the project, that would make things way more interesting because a post-SATC Sarah Jessica Parker and a post-Twitter Bette Midler make for a really powerful duo.

9 Should Be Left Alone: One Dimensional Evil Witches Could Get Boring

At the core of the film’s narrative, the three witches Winifred, Mary, and Sarah have been depicted as the baddies who drain children of life to retain their youth. That is in no way a spin-able backstory, and a plain old evil witches tale doesn’t make for a good script, especially now.

There obviously has to be more nuance to their background and history, because a supernatural film in 2020 needs to work on several layers. And a town trying to kill off three witches who kill children is just too done and dusted a concept.

8 Great Idea: Could Add An Empowering Perspective

Much like Suspiria or The Love Witch, the narrative of the sequel could introduce a strong subtext of empowerment in the storyline of the witches. It’s difficult to market children-killing witches as any sort of do-gooders. However, there’s room for exploring their struggle and their history of oppression.

Many supernatural reboots have in the recent past maneuvered their way into modern storytelling by adding previously unmentioned details which make the storyline more significant. Obviously not how JK Rowling did it, but in a more organic and plausible manner.

7 Should Be Left Alone: Stereotyping Could Hurt Real-life Witchcraft Practitioners

Reports emerged recently that claim that young witches and occult practitioners are nervous about the Hocus Pocus sequel since the last film did significant damage to their reputation.

One of the main reasons for this is obviously how the witches were depicted – as a menacing and exaggerated trio of evil witches, propelled up as comic devices hunched over the stereotypical brewing cauldrons. This depiction would make it tricky for modern-day witches to be taken seriously unless of course, there are some serious and intricate modifications being made in the narrative.

6 Great Idea: Room For An Improved Visual Experience

With the advancements in CGI and prosthetics, there’s of course a lot of potential for a supernatural cult franchise to thrive. Hocus Pocus was obviously lacking in terms of visual appeal, like most ’90s supernatural films were.

Interestingly, some supernatural and sci-fi reboots have tried to moderate the use of CGI despite having ample room for using technologically amped detailing, to make way for more organic storytelling. But the Hocus Pocus sequel will, of course, need to rely quite heavily on CGI support to make the narrative more viable for the modern audiences. 

5 Should Be Left Alone: A Reboot Would Have Worked Better

When a Hocus Pocus reboot was in early talks, Bette Midler expressed her displeasure at the fact that the makers would take the story in another direction. And the main cast obviously wants a sequel since it gives them a chance to drive their respective roles forward, but in this film’s case, a reboot would have worked better.

Despite being a cult favorite, Hocus Pocus has quite a few rough edges, which would be difficult to sand down in a sequel, especially since the main backstory cannot change. Plus, fans unanimously agree that a retelling of the story is far more appealing than a sequel.

4 Great Idea: Could Explore The Witches’ Origins

The fandom has a lot of questions regarding the history of the witches and also about the origin of their powers. The film explained very little about the kind of witches Winnie, Mary and Sarah are and also didn’t give the audience a perspective on whether they are really all that powerful as compared to other witches.

They are burnt at the stake in the 1600s but were all members of their local community burnt too? Were they part of a bigger coven? How do they manage to return from the dead? Fans could really use answers to these questions.

3 Should Be Left Alone: Adam Shankman’s History With Reboots And Sequels

Adam Shankman has been responsible for translating some of the most prolific Broadway shows into cinema including the disastrous Rock of Ages. He also directed the sequel of Cheaper By The Dozen and the female-led reboot of What Women Want, and those were quite disappointing.

In his past directorial ventures, including films like The Pacifier and Bedtime Stories, he has often bypassed the point of the narrative. This is not to say he is a lazy filmmaker or wouldn’t do justice to the Hocus Pocus sequel but the return of the original cast really ups the ante for the film, and a different name or even the original director Kenny Ortega wouldn’t be a bad idea.

2 Great Idea: Could Iron Out A Few Inconsistencies In The Mythology

The Hocus Pocus script had quite a few lazy plot devices which would probably never fly today, since audiences today demand transparency on the subject matter. The origins of the witches is still a big mystery especially since their powers and limitations are quite helter-skelter.

For instance, the witches transform Thackery into an immortal black cat but in common Wiccan theology, something this big is not easily attainable, and ideally to create something immortal or to bring someone back to life, a sacrifice has to be made. There are many such plot holes that were overlooked as the film was meant to be a comedy, but in 2020 obviously, the makers could take this opportunity to polish some of the glitches.

1 Should Be Left Alone: The Age Factor Is Complicated

The witches in Hocus Pocus do not age – that is the one consistent thing about the movie. In fact, all of their hard work to drain children of their life force is so that they can retain their youth. That is a pretty big driving force for the narrative. But the main cast has obviously aged physically since it has been almost three decades since the release of the film.

So, when the witches return this time, would they have aged? That would be hard to explain because they hadn’t aged a bit between the 1600s and the 20th century, so why would they age normally today? Yes, de-aging is an option, and another option is to come up with a convenient explanation for their aging, but it could be tricky.

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