The Hocus Pocus cast then and now: Where are they now?

It’s that wonderful time of year where we carve pumpkins, cook the seeds, heat up some apple cider and load up Disney+ to watch Hocus Pocus. Kenny Ortega’s 1993 film is a must-watch for the season and it’s a story most of us know and love. But what are the stars of this classic up to now? And how many are coming back for the sequel? Let’s take a look at the Hocus Pocus cast then and now.

For a little background–for those newbies who have yet to experience the terrifying joy of this bewitching tale–Hocus Pocus begins in 1600s Salem, with a boy named Thackery (not Zachary), played by Sean Murray, whose sister has been lured into the forest by a witch named Winifred, played by Bette Midler, and her sisters Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and  Mary (Kathy Najimy).

Thackery attempts to save his sister from having her soul sucked out by Winifred and the other Sanderson sisters, but fails and is turned into a cat, never to die, always to live with the guilt of his sister’s death. While the witches are hung, they vow to return if a virgin lights the”Black Flame Candle.”

Fast forward to the present day, when an angsty, California teen named Max (Omri Katz) moves to Salem and tries to impress a superstitious girl at his school, Allison (Vinessa Shaw), by going to the Sanderson sisters’ house and lighting the black candle. Of course, this brings the witches back from the dead and they begin terrorizing Salem. It’s up to Allison, Max, his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and the cat Thackery (Jason Marsden) to save the town.

The Hocus Pocus cast today

In May of 2021, Disney+ announced that Winnifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson would be returning to Salem in a Hocus Pocus sequel, which has officially begun filming. As the new story goes, three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson sisters back to modern-day Salem–sounds familiar–and must figure out how to, once again, stop these witches from sucking out the souls of every child in town.

With a new director, Anne Fletcher, it poses the question: who of the original cast will be returning for the sequel? And what have these stars been up to since the film’s 1993 premiere? Let’s take a look at the Hocus Pocus cast then and now.

Bette Midler as “Winifred”

Famous for her roles in The First Wives Club and Beaches, Bette Midler is a multi-grammy award-winning singer, comedian and author. Proving that she can act in drama as well as comedy, Midler was a fantastic choice for the leading role of devious witch Winifred.

Since starring as lead of the Hocus Pocus cast, Midler has starred in the 2000 TV series Bette, the 2004 film The Stepford Wives, voiced for “Grandma” in The Adam’s Family and The Adam’s Family 2 animations and much more. Midler also executive produced the TV special, Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover.

Most recently, however, Midler is reprising her role as Winifred in the 2022 Hocus Pocus sequel. You can commence your screams of glee now.

Sarah Jessica Parker as “Sarah”

Who could forget Parker’s incredible performance as the charismatic and men-obsessed witch Sarah? While Parker was already a well-established actor from her leading roles in romances like Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Somewhere, Tomorrow and Honeymoon in Vegas, Parker’s career really soared after she starred in Hocus Pocus.

Five years since the spooky sensation, Parker began her seven-year journey as the leading lady and an executive producer of one of TV’s biggest hit shows, Sex and the City. After that, Parker became known for her romance comedies like The Family Stone, Failure to Launch, I Don’t Know How She Does It and Did You Hear About the Morgans?.

Though Parker didn’t join Miller in gravitating toward thrilling and Halloween-esque roles post being in the Hocus Pocus cast, the actor is, thankfully, returning to Salem as Sarah in the film’s sequel.

Kathy Najimy as “Mary”

Kathy Najimy’s acting career began not too long before taking her rightful place as a Sanderson sister on the Hocus Pocus cast. In fact, one of Najimy’s first roles was a sister of the Catholic church in the 1992 movie Sister Act. She reprised her role as Sister Mary Patrick in the 1993 sequel Sister Act 2.

But Najimy seems to have found her career calling in Animation, beginning with Hey Arnold!, Little Bill, and Pepper Ann and going on to King of the Hill, Harvey Beaks, Duncanville and many other animated TV titles. It makes sense, as Najimy’s naturally animated essence translated so well playing a witch with a craving for the kiddies.

Najimy will also be joining her former sisters–not Whoopi–for more Sanderson shenanigans in Hocus Pocus 2.

Jason Marsden as “Thackery” the Cat.

If the name itself doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps the title A Goofy Movie will get the gears rolling. Voice actor Jason Marsden might not be known for having his face in front of a camera, but his voice behind a mic has been with many of us throughout our childhoods.

Voicing for Max in A Goofy Movie, Haku in Spirited Away, Kovu in The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, Mungo in Tarzan and Chester in Fairly OddParents, Jason Marsden naturally boyish vocals made him a fun and memorable choice for the Hocus Pocus cast, voicing the cat version of Thackery.

Unfortunately, since the end of the first Hous Pocus film meant Thackery joining his sister in death, it’s certain that our beloved black feline “Binx” won’t be featured in the story’s sequel. But it doesn’t mean the filmmakers won’t find some new Halloween animal for Marsden to lend his voice to. We shall wait and see!

Sean Murray as “Thackery”

Marsden may have brought Thackery’s character to life through most of the film, let’s not forget Sean Murray’s performance as a determined brother who would stop at nothing to save his sister from a grim fate.

Murray hasn’t had as long of an acting career as some of his Hocus Pocus companions, but he certainly has some memorable roles that are hard to forget. Beginning with the TV movie Backfield in Motion and Leonardo DiCaprio’s This Boy’s Life, Hocus Pocus was, like Najimy, one of Murray’s first roles. The actor went on to be featured in a series of TV movies and shorts until finding his calling as Timothy McGee in, you guessed it, NCIS.

For even more reasons than Marsden, Murray will likely not be joining the Hocus Pocus cast in the sequel. After all, he already has his hands full solving even more grizzly mysteries with Gibbs.

Omri Katz as “Max”

Most known for his role as John Ross Ewing in the 1983 TV series Dallas, Omri Katz’s acting career was most active prior to his role in Hocus Pocus. Going on to play Timmy in Adventures in Dinosaur City (1991), Marshall Teller–as well as Eunice Danforth–in Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992) and Stan in Matinee (1993), Hocus Pocus was one of Katz last blockbuster performances before retiring as an actor.

Katz’s role as Max continued to be immortalized with Hocus Pocus promotions and TV documentaries, such as the Hocus Pocus 20th Anniversary video short in 2013, The Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash TV movie documentary in 2018, and In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover.

Except for his role as Tony Hemingway in The John Larroquette Show, some small roles in a couple TV series, and revisiting his time on Dallas, Katz has been absent from the on-screen entertainment business since 1995. And, sadly, the actor recently reported that he has not yet been approached to return to Salem for a Hocus Pocus sequel.