Warning: Mild SPOILERS lie ahead for Hocus Pocus 2.Thora Birch, the actor who once played the precocious Dani Dennison in the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus, has revealed what a possible storyline for her character in the newly released Hocus Pocus 2 would have looked like had she reprised her role. In the original film Birch, just 11 years old when the movie premiered, played the confident younger sister of the protagonist Max, whose flare for the dramatic and wisdom beyond her years has cemented her as a fan favorite to this day. Those who fell in love with her on-screen charm in the original Hocus Pocus were left disappointed to learn that Dani, along with most of the central characters from the first film, would not be making a reappearance in the long-awaited Hocus Pocus 2.
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While the Sanderson Sisters, played by Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, have been resurrected to haunt modern day Salem once again in the sequel, they will star alongside three new young characters in place of the kids who were responsible for saving the town in the first movie, led by Max Dennison, played by Omri Katz. Due to the time jump and the new story, producers have expressed that fitting in the original characters would not have made logistical sense. However, those involved in the film, from the producers to the actors, have assured fans that this decision was not made without forethought.
In time for the sequel's release, Thora Birch revealed to The Wrap the scrapped plans for Dani's return in Hocus Pocus 2. The original movie actor expressed wanting to see her character take over running the Sanderson Sisters' cottage museum, where she would almost help pass the torch to the new group of protagonists. See what Birch shared below:
There were about two or three different versions of Dani. My ideal one was to have her running the museum of the house, to kind of like keep a watch, making sure that you know, it doesn’t happen again or whatever. And then she could like, guide whoever brings it back. But that was just my thought. There were a couple of other ideas… there were several options, and they all would have worked. The fans’ demand for it kind of really is what got me interested in the idea of like, ‘OK, well, if it were going to be happening, what would that look like?’ And I was a longtime supporter. Once I came to that conclusion that the fans really wanted it, you can’t deny the fans. Keep the franchise going, right? Why not? So then I was like, ‘OK, whatever they come up with, I’ll see. I’ll wait and see what they come up with.' And then I really did [want to be part of it], because they did, they came up with a good story and a premise, and they contemporized, and shifted it, and I think it’s taking like a little bit of a different direction. But it’s got all the old stuff at it too. And yeah, just to see the witches back together like, uh, hello, of course everyone wants to see that!
Could Dani Return For A Potential Hocus Pocus 3?
Interestingly, the original plans for Dani's Hocus Pocus 2 return as the keeper of the Sanderson sisters' home turned into a museum would still find its way on to the screen, only for Sam Richardson's new character Gilbert to be the one occupying the witches' former home. Additionally, the film saw Gilbert turn the building into a magic shop and helping to resurrect the Sandersons, having become fascinated with them after seeing their resurrection in the original Hocus Pocus. Given it's unclear whether Dani's Hocus Pocus 2 story was reworked for Gilbert, it could also be speculated she ran the magic shop with Richardson's character in a prior draft, making his reveal a slightly more emotional one for audiences.
While Birch and audiences alike have expressed their disappointment by the absence of Dani in Hocus Pocus 2, not all hope is lost. The Sanderson sisters actors recently teased a Hocus Pocus 3 being discussed for the near future which, even teasing the possibility of making the threequel animated rather than live-action. Given Hocus Pocus 2 is scoring modestly better reviews than its predecessor and a post-credits stinger hinting at the franchise's future, the Sanderson sisters and Dani could make their way back to the screen sooner than later.