Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Hocus Pocus 2Hocus Pocus 2 includes a flashback scene depicting how the Sanderson sisters become witches, with three child actresses playing young versions of the iconic trio. The late sequel to 1993's Hocus Pocus brings the long-awaited return of the Sanderson sisters — Winifred, Mary, and Sarah — played again as adults by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker. This time, audiences get to see more of their origin story, with three perfectly cast kids filling their boots in scenes set in Salem in 1653.
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The plot of Hocus Pocus 2 focuses on the Sanderson sisters as they try to use the "Magicae Maxima" spell that turns a regular witch into an all-powerful witch. However, this spell comes with a warning: its user must lose what they love the most. The Magicae Maxima spell first comes to the attention of the Sanderson sisters when the Witch Mother (played by Hannah Waddingham) makes them all witches in their youth, as depicted in the opening of the Hocus Pocus sequel. This flashback sequence sets up the rest of Hocus Pocus 2, and fortunately, the three actresses playing the Sanderson sisters as children execute this tall task while also filling iconic roles and adding emotional depth to their backstory.
The three actresses who play the young Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus 2 are: Taylor Paige Henderson as Winifred "Winnie" Sanderson, Nina Kitchen as Mary Sanderson, and Juju Journey Brener as young Sarah Sanderson — characters originated by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, respectively. Not only do the performances do justice to the adult versions, but the younger portrayals of the characters provide a new understanding of the actions of the Sanderson sisters in the Hocus Pocus movies. Henderson, who voices the title character in the English-language dub of Studio Ghibli's Earwig and the Witch, steals the show in their Hocus Pocus 2 scenes by perfecting Midler's mannerisms and attitude, convincingly coming across as the most powerful of the sisters. In what appears to be her first major acting role, Kitchen does a fantastic job portraying a miniature version of the energetic Mary, while Brener fills Parker's role valiantly, portraying the youngest of the Sanderson sisters. The latter previously appeared in the 2021 action thriller Vanquish.
Who Plays The Other Salem Residents In Hocus Pocus 2's Flashbacks
The flashback sequence in Salem in Hocus Pocus 2 also includes some other interesting characters and cast members. Most notably, comedic actor Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep) plays Reverend Traske in the 17th-century set scenes in addition to portraying the character's descendant, the mayor of Salem, in the present-day section of the movie. Also, the award-winning Hannah Waddingham, who plays Rebecca in Ted Lasso, is the aforementioned Mother Witch, who resides in the forbidden forest outside of Salem.
In the town, Austin J. Ryan portrays a young Billy Butcherson, the love interest of Winnie Sanderson who appears as an adult in both Hocus Pocus movies as a zombie. And Thomas Fitzgerald portrays John Pritchett, a boy in Salem whom Winnie Sanderson is heavily encouraged to marry. Taylor Paige Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Juju Journey Brener are the standouts of the important flashback sequence, though, as they all three add depth to the Sanderson sisters' dynamic in Hocus Pocus 2 and bring a new perspective on why the witches act how they do as adults in both movies. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker can be proud of how their younger versions are portrayed in the sequel.