Hocus Pocus 2 is reuniting viewers with the legendary Sanderson Sisters, but how old are they in Hocus Pocus and its sequel? Disney is best known for its family-friendly content, whether animated or live-action, and as such, it has movies for almost every special occasion, including Halloween. One of Disney’s most popular and beloved Halloween movies is Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega and released in 1993, and even though wasn’t well-received when it was released, it’s now a cult classic and a most-watch during spooky season.
Hocus Pocus took viewers to Salem, Massachusetts, to meet the Sanderson Sisters – Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) –, who after draining the life force out of a little girl and cursing her brother to live forever as a black cat, are hanged. However, Winifred managed to cast a curse right before their execution that will resurrect her and her sisters during a full moon on Halloween if a virgin lights the Black Candle at their cottage. Three centuries later, Max Dennison (Omri Katz) inadvertently resurrects the Sanderson Sisters, and so he, his sister Dani (Thora Birch), and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) have to rush to find a way to get rid of them before they drain the life force out of all the children in Salem so they can continue living after Halloween. The Sanderson Sisters are coming back in Hocus Pocus 2, which has made way for a couple of questions, including how old they are.
How Old The Sanderson Sisters Are In 1993's Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus begins with a flashback to October 31, 1693, where Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, graying and dealing with very old age, decided to brew the Life Potion in order to become young again and continue living. The Sandersons succeeded and got their youth back, but the murder of various children around town led to them being arrested and sentenced to death – after all, this all happened during the witch hunts in Salem. However, it’s unknown how old they were in 1693 and how many times they had used the Life Potion, so they could have already been hundreds of years old by the time they turned Thackery Binx into a cat – and given that they were already very experienced in casting spells, brewing potions, and getting away with disappearing children all over town, it’s believable that the Sanderson Sisters were already hundreds of years old in 1693 and thus in 1993 as well.
Why The Sanderson Sisters Are The Same Age In Hocus Pocus 2
Although three hundred years passed since the “execution” of the Sanderson Sisters and their resurrection thanks to Max, they looked exactly as they did after taking the potion in 1693, so they were the same age in 1993. Hocus Pocus 2 will see the resurrection of the Sanderson Sisters through the Black Candle, as seen in the teaser and trailer, so the witches will, once more, be the same age they were when they were hanged and when they were brought back in 1993. It’s worth noting that details about the return of the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus 2 are still unknown, so there could be limitations to the spell (after all, their bodies turned to dust in the first movie) that would have made them age, at least, almost three decades, matching the actresses’ age difference . However, there's also the possibility that, through the origin story of the Sanderson Sisters, Hocus Pocus 2 will give a definitive answer to how old they actually are.