The Hocus Pocus 2 cast break down that ending – and if [SPOILER] could return

Hocus Pocus 2
(Image credit: Disney)

Hocus Pocus 2 brought back the Sanderson sisters – and also introduced a new, young cast, with Whitney Peak's Becca, Lilia Buckingham's Cassie, and Belissa Escobedo's Izzy joining the lineup. Peak, Buckingham, and Escobedo have talked through the new film's surprise ending and whether those certain someones could ever return: major spoiler warning for everything to follow! 

The Hocus Pocus 2 ending bid a heartfelt goodbye to the Sanderson sisters (that's Bette Middler's Winifred, Sarah Jessica Parker's Sarah, and Kathy Najimy's Mary). When Winnie casts the Power Spell, a terrible price must be paid: what she holds most dear, her two sisters, are taken away. The three young witches, Becca, Cassie, and Izzy, are unable to bring Sarah and Mary back, but they can reunite Winnie with her lost sisters. When all is said and done, the trio are established as the new witches in town – but good ones, this time. 

"It wasn't in the first script; it was during [additional photography] that we came back to the ending," Escobedo told Entertainment Weekly of Winnie's big moment. "Seeing that, through the screen, it's translated well. But, seeing her do that monologue live was life changing."

"She was improvising. It was different each time," Peak revealed. "She'd go on a well-thought-out monologue, saying goodbye to her sisters and having a weird come-to-light moment of deciding who she wants to be."

As for the three new witches, it seems the future is wide open. "It's an open-ended movie. So much could happen next," said Peak. "Both extremes, too. If there is a next movie, we could be our coven, much older, but the Sanderson sisters could come back, and we'd have to kick their asses again."

As for whether the Sanderson sisters could actually return, never say never. "I think you can never fully get rid of the Sanderson sisters," Escobedo said, with Peak adding: "They can always come back. It would be hard to create a third movie without the Sanderson sisters, because it's their movie. They are Hocus Pocus. It's hard to imagine what a movie would be like without them."

Hocus Pocus 2 is streaming on Disney Plus now. If you're all caught up, check out our roundup of the best movies on Disney Plus to fill out your watchlist. 

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.