In Hocus Pocus, Billy Butcherson was one of those decent zombies who you couldn’t help but root for. The amazing Doug Jones portrayed Billy, a figure that many fans still dress up as for Halloween, and he has our undying adoration. Knowing that Billy will return in Hocus Pocus 2 and be just as endearing as before is a huge plus. Now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have a fresh look at the undead figure and get to see Billy back and better than ever before, with some great new lines from Jones and the director of the sequel, Anne Fletcher. Fletcher found it quite strange when Jones reprised his part as Billy and brought back the fan-favourite character of the Sanderson Sisters’ ex-lover Billy. “It does something to your spirit; it’s so weird; it’s so mind-blowing,” Fletcher remarked. “In the scene, he is experiencing a moment of betrayal, and seeing this cherished figure after he has been harmed is shocking. It was something I won’t soon forget.”
Even though we all as fans of the original know how wonderful Billy is, it feels fitting to have him back for the sequel with the same appearance to him, as depicted in the new image in question, which depicts him standing in a graveyard with the black of the night about him. Jones was relieved to be able to communicate with the living after death. He told EW, “I was extremely delighted that Billy came out of the cemetery talking. “The transition from the first film to the sequel was quite smooth.
Those who grew up with the original film will appreciate that it stays true to the source material, while the updated elements will appeal to the interest of new viewers. It was terrifying to realise that Billy had been living the whole while I’d been pretending to be other people, but he came back to me straight afterwards because he “wanted his opportunity again.” The nostalgia that we have for this picture rears its head every Halloween season and it is going to be a wonderful change to have Hocus Pocus 2 to welcome us into the season this time around, particularly if it means getting to go back into the world of the Sanderson Sisters with Billy? All the better!
On September 30, Disney+ will debut the sequel to “Hocus Pocus.”