Billy Butcherson actor Doug Jones teases his character's story in Hocus Pocus 2. After nearly thirty years, the villainous Sanderson sisters will be returning to the screen. Joining Jones for the sequel, Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are reprising their roles as the original trio of witches, Winnie, Sarah, and Mary. In addition to the returning cast members, Hocus Pocus 2 will also feature Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Sam Richardson, Hannah Waddingham, and Tony Hale as new characters. The film will be available to stream on Disney+ on September 30.
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Hocus Pocus 2 will pick up twenty-nine years after the events of the original, when teenagers Becca (Peak) and Izzy (Escobedo) accidentally revive the vengeance-seeking Sanderson sisters. While the witches scheme in present-day Salem, their hidden past will be revealed in a flashback to their childhoods in the 1600s that shows how the Sanderson sisters became witches. Hocus Pocus 2 will also delve deeper into Billy's character. Winnie's former lover-turned-zombie will both appear in the flashback and be revived in the present day by shopkeeper Gilbert (Richardson). While the previously released Hocus Pocus 2 trailer hinted at Billy's role in the movie, now the character's actor reveals even more details.
Jones teases Billy's Hocus Pocus 2 storyline in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant. During the discussion, the actor reveals that Billy and Richardson's Gilbert have a separate side plot in the Hocus Pocus sequel that he described as "hilarious." According to Jones, the two characters appear in their own little buddy film in the background of the Sanderson sisters' plot for revenge. Check out Jones' full description below:
We've already talked about that I spend a lot of my time in the movie with Gilbert, the character who manages and runs the Sanderson Museum, which is the Sanderson sisters' house, it's been turned into a museum and gift shop. So I spent a lot of time with him throughout the movie and he's played by the brilliant and hilarious Sam Richardson, I had so much fun playing with him in this movie as well. I guess that's all the hinting and teasing I can give you. [Laughs] It was kind of like doing a buddy film. Hocus Pocus is happening from start to finish, and you'll see us popping up here and there and doing our own little buddy film off to the side. [Laughs] It was hilarious, and watching him work is a dream, too, Sam was great. He's great at turning scripted material into his own funny timing, and then he'll also ask for another take so he can repeat and try a line over again or add his own little flavor to it, and he's got great improv skills, so he was an absolute dream to work with.
The Hocus Pocus sequel has been a long time coming, with nearly three decades passing since the original premiered, so expectations for the movie are understandably high. This means that Hocus Pocus fans will expect a character as beloved as Billy to stay faithful to his original appearance without repeating his story from the original. It seems Hocus Pocus 2 will avoid this problem by giving Billy his own subplot to follow with Gilbert, instead of returning him to Winnie's thrall. This can allow the sequel to explore who Billy is on his own; it helps that his mouth will no longer be sewn shut.
Of course, Jones doesn't give any more concrete details about what Billy and Gilbert are doing in the new film, but considering Jones' comments, viewers won't need to worry about Billy losing his comedic touch. According to the actor, he had a blast creating a hilarious duo with Richardson. If Jones' enjoyment of working with Richardson translates to the screen, then Hocus Pocus 2 should be just as funny as the first.