Based on the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer, the upcoming movie will not be adapting Hocus Pocus’s sequel novel, as was theorized, nor will it be using its method of resurrecting the Sanderson sisters. Set to release on Disney+ on September 30, 2022, Hocus Pocus 2 will serve as a sequel to the original Hocus Pocus movie from 1993. As such, Hocus Pocus 2 will feature a new group of high school students trying to save Salem from the Sanderson sisters, a coven of witches who suck the life out of children. While these teenagers will be new characters, all three of the original Sanderson sisters actors – Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy – will return to reprise their roles.
Given that they all died at the end of the original Hocus Pocus, the Sanderson sisters' resurrection was one of the most important points in the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer. While few plot details have been released, the trailer showed high school students Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) performing their annual birthday ritual for Becca. To their surprise, this time the ritual worked due to Becca gaining witch powers on her 16th birthday, accidentally reviving the Sanderson sisters. This method for resurrecting the three witches is notably different from how the Sanderson sisters returned in Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel, the 2018 book written by A. W. Jantha.
Split into two sections, the book retold the plot of the wildly popular original Hocus Pocus movie and then created a sequel story. Set 25 years after the events of Hocus Pocus, that sequel novel focused on Poppy, the 17-year-old daughter of the original main characters, Max and Allison. Like her father, who brought the Sanderson sisters back by lighting the Black Flame Candle in the witches’ cottage on Halloween, Poppy also revived the witches by entering their house during a blood moon on Halloween. Since the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer featured different characters and a new resurrection method, it confirmed that Hocus Pocus 2 will not be adapting the Hocus Pocus novel. These changes are good for Hocus Pocus 2 because they not only avoid the sequel book’s problems but allow the sequel film to create a new story while still honoring the original Hocus Pocus.
Hocus Pocus 2 going in a different direction from Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel is good because the novel was a major disappointment for readers. One book review (via Laughing Place) explained that although Poppy’s character was likable and relatable, Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel’s plot was unoriginal. The sequel repeated Hocus Pocus’s story but sidelined all of the original protagonists. In addition, the sequel book spent less time on the Sanderson sisters and lessened much of their humor. The witches’ motivations were also different as they followed the bidding of their “master” rather than pursuing their own interests. Due to this, the sequel novel was enjoyable but lacked much of Hocus Pocus’s fun and originality.
In contrast, Hocus Pocus 2 aims to create a new story that still pays homage to the original film. Although it is unknown if any of Hocus Pocus’s original heroes (Max, Dani, and Allison) will appear in Hocus Pocus 2, the new trio of teenagers (Becca, Izzy, and Cassie) does not seem to have any connection to them. This will allow Hocus Pocus 2 to create a new adventure without risking portraying the original characters in ways that might upset fans. However, the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer revealed that the movie will include many references to Hocus Pocus, including a dark candle, a black cat, Winifred's spell book, and the grave of Winifred’s ex-boyfriend, Billy Butcherson. In this way, the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer proved that the upcoming release should tell a new story that honors the original Hocus Pocus movie rather than adapting the disappointing sequel novel.