Doug Jones is officially returning as Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus 2. Disney's Halloween cult classic, Hocus Pocus, was released in 1993 and starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently brought back to life by a teenage boy named Max (Omri Katz). Though the camp classic was not much of a hit with critics or at the box office at the time of its release, it has since earned a cult following due to annual airings on cable and home video sales.
With each passing Halloween season, the demand for a sequel gradually increased and fans finally got their wish when Hocus Pocus 2 was officially green-lit last year. From Workaholics writer, Jen D'Angelo, and Step Up director, Anne Fletcher, the sequel will follow a familiar plot with all three original Sanderson sisters Midler, Parker, and Najimy returning as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary respectively. Though, instead of Max, it will be three-high school students who accidentally revive the witches this time around, as per Hocus Pocus 2's official synopsis.
Now, an official press release has confirmed the return of Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson is Hocus Pocus 2. Other than the three Sanderson sister stars who are returning, Jones is the only other cast member from the original film who is confirmed to be reprising his role.
Now that Hocus Pocus 2 has started production in Rhode Island ahead of its Fall 2022 release on Disney+, the cast has recently started coming together. It has also been announced that Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl), Lilia Buckingham (Crown Lake), and Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories) will star as Becca, Cassie, and Izzy respectively, the three high-schoolers responsible for inciting the wrath of the three witches. The supporting cast also includes some talented comedic actors like Veep's Sam Richardson and Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham in undisclosed roles. Arrested Development's Tony Hale stars as Jefry Traske, the mayor of Salem.
While the sequel is undeniably assembling an impressive cast, Hocus Pocus fans will be delighted to hear that another original cast member is returning, especially a fan-favorite character like Billy Butcherson, Winifred's former lover from 1693 who returns as zombie. Bringing back characters like these will be crucial to evoking feelings of nostalgia for the 1990s, which is in large part why the first film's popularity persists. Now, fans will eagerly await news regarding the return of original characters Max (Katz), Dani (Thora Birch), and Allison (Vinessa Shaw) in Hocus Pocus 2.
Source: Disney+