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Thora Birch Has A Pretty Good Reason Why She Couldn't Be In "Hocus Pocus 2"

The sequel recently hit Disney+ and it brings back some very familiar faces — but not everyone returned.

If we know you, you've probably got plans to watch Hocus Pocus 2 this weekend — that is, if you haven't watched it already.

the three witches in a drug store

The long-awaited sequel to the 1993 cult classic brings back some familiar faces alongside a brand-new cast — but not everyone from the first film returned.

closeup of the three witches

Specifically, Thora Birch — who played Dani in the original film — does not appear in Hocus Pocus 2. But why?

closeup of young Dani with her arms crossed

Well, Thora explained it all in an interview with ET Canada.

closeup of a recent Thora

In the interview, Thora said she was "dismayed" not to be able to appear in the new movie — but her absence wasn't without reason.

Thora

"There were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by," she explained.

Young Thora as Dani

Unfortunately, as she explained, “by the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else."

closeup of Thora at an event

Thora added that the first film still "holds such a special place in my heart," and that she'll be watching Hocus Pocus 2 along with, well, everybody else.

the three witches

Here's the trailer for the new one if you want to get pumped:

View this video on YouTube

Disney+ / Via youtube.com