Hocus Pocus 2 Almost Had a Different (And Better) Ending
That would be a stunner.
Summary
- Hocus Pocus 2 ended on a mysterious note for the fan-favorite Sanderson sisters.
- As it turns out, there was originally an alternate conclusion that explained what happened to the antagonists.
- Sadly, the scene was changed in the final cut for various reasons.
Disney's Hocus Pocus 2 has become a real trip down memory lane for anyone who grew up in the 1990s. The 2022 sequel to the 1993 comedy, which centers on the trio of hilariously villainous Sanderson sisters portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, has quickly become an enjoyable addition to a Halloween season viewing experience, racking up record viewership on the streaming platform and three Emmy nominations.
Naturally, this prompted the studio to announce the third installment of the film franchise, which is currently in the works by the same production team. And the possibility of the threequel is probably one of the reasons why the final scene of Hocus Pocus 2 was changed.
Hocus Pocus 2's Conclusion
As we saw it on screen, the Sanderson sisters, defeated by the younger witch trio, vanish into thin air with amazing glowing effects. It happens right after Winifred's powerful act of redemption, when she agrees to give up her power to be with her partners in crime forever.
After that, the next time we see the witches is in the credits, in a professional studio, singing The Witches are Back, a remake of Elton John's The Bitch is Back. It reads as a fun twist to get people to sit through the credits and doesn't add much to the story.
The post-credits scene reveals that even though the original Black Flame Candle that resurrected the diabolical trio was destroyed, there is a second one hidden in the magic shop, hinting at how exactly the Sanderson sisters will reappear in the third movie.
The Alternative Ending
The end credits of Hocus Pocus 2 are great, but there was a much better original version that actually connected to the story.
The film's costume designer, Salvador Perez, revealed in a conversation with Robert Peterpaul that he was initially tasked with creating special costumes for the scene in which the sisters sing The Witches are Back on stage in Purgatory with multiple Hell denizens watching them.
'My concept was these very Vegas versions of their costumes in gold and sparkle,' Perez described. 'The audience was gonna be all in red and it was all different historical costumes, but all in red.'
Now that is a vivid and stunning image that we would definitely want to see. The sisters reuniting in Purgatory (where they surely belong, no matter how much we love them) and still having fun sounds like an absolute treat.
Unfortunately, the studio decided against this moment because it would have taken up too much of their budget and time resources. Also, not explaining where the witches went gave the threequel creators a lot more narrative freedom.
Source: The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul.