New photos from the set of Disney's Hocus Pocus 2 confirm the film's working title: Black Flame. The highly-anticipated sequel is in the works nearly three decades after Hocus Pocus premiered in 1993. Centered on the Sanderson sisters, three evil witches hellbent on staying young forever, the family flick didn't initially enchant moviegoers. However, over the years the film has reached cult classic status, cementing its campy star threesome Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, as Halloween icons.
Diehard fans were delighted when Disney finally greenlit Hocus Pocus 2 in 2020, with director Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) at the helm. Most importantly, all three original Sandersons signed on, which led to excitement growing exponentially. Though the story is famously set in Salem, MA, production decided to shoot the sequel one state over. Fabricated Salem buildings were soon erected in Rhode Island as Hocus Pocus 2 amped up in the fall of 2021. Eager fans flocked to the set and, consequently, various photos and videos began to leak online. This is certainly something production tried to avoid.
Interestingly enough, the latest series of snaps to surface shows one of the ways production tried to keep fans in the dark. Instagram user @pvdnowandthen shared a carousel of photos depicting the trailer doors for the movie's trio of stars: Midler, Parker, and Najimy. While seeing their character names - Winnie, Sarah, and Mary - on movie trailers is thrilling, the logo above it confirmed Black Flame as the project's official working title. Check out the photos below:
Black Flame is the pseudonym production coyly chose so that Hocus Pocus 2 wasn't splashed everywhere. When filming a movie on location, signs are posted in the area to alert locals that filming will be taking place there on a given date and also show the permit. People would be more likely to congregate if they read Hocus Pocus 2 on a sign versus Black Flame. Of course, the movie's working title isn't the hardest code to crack. Black Flame is a clear reference to the Black Flame Candle which brought the Sanderson sisters back to life in the original movie.
While Black Flame is a pretty wicked title, Disney already revealed the official Hocus Pocus 2 logo. The title itself is a callback to times when sequels more frequently slapped the number 2 on their title versus conjuring up a new name. From a visibility and brand standpoint, it's the best way to go. In the end, fans most likely wouldn't care what Disney calls Hocus Pocus 2 as long as they make it happen.
Source: @pvdnowandthen