It was during this year’s D23 Expo, during the Disney and Pixar presentation when a fresh new official trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 was unveiled, and we were immediately enchanted once more by the Sanderson Sisters. The second teaser showed us more of the magic that would be unleashed on September 30; it also explained the sisters’ backstory and introduced a mysterious new figure.
For the time being, Hannah Waddingham, played by Ted Lasso, is simply referred to as “The Witch,” but she recently made an unexpected appearance with a crucial gift for the young witches. Fans of the 1993 Halloween hit Hocus Pocus might have been hesitant when news of a sequel initially broke. There were doubts about the viability of this trio’s resurrection, but we were willing to hop on the broom if it meant seeing Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy again. More and more announcements, posters, and teasers were released as the witching hour drew closer. The Sanderson Sisters returned from exile, ready to wreak havoc in Salem.
But there was something obvious hovering over Salem the whole time: a mysterious raven. As it happens, the raven is a crucial part of the witch’s lore. As teased in the D23 trailer, the sisters’ origin story will be explored in greater depth. This September, we’ll meet Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, three young women of the 1600s in the woods of Salem, Massachusetts, a notoriously dangerous place for girls of their age. In this time of backstory-heavy trailers, Waddingham’s “The Witch” is finally unmasked as the villainous character she’ll play.
As the reverend is heard driving the children out of town, the raven swoops down from the trees above the sisters and turns into a stunning woman. The woman tells the sisters that the people of Salem were right to be afraid of them because “magic has a way of uniting,” and then she hands Winnie The Book, eye and all. Though the trailer doesn’t explain who Waddingham’s character is or where she came from, she’s been watching the Sanderson Sisters, and she knew it was their sixteenth birthday.
She gives the girls the magic book that sets off their reign of terror, and it’s really odd that Winnie and her sisters’ most prized possession, The Book, isn’t yet under a guardian’s watchful eye. Waddingham has become well-known for her role as Rebecca Welton, the AFC Richmond team’s owner, in the smash hit series Ted Lasso, available on Apple TV+. The performance earned the actress a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a SAG Award. Waddingham’s resume includes regular parts on Krypton and Sex Education as well as guest spots as the deceitful and despicable Septa Unella and as Sofia Marchetti in Game of Thrones (both on HBO).
Waddingham will be appearing in the Garfield adaption with Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson after the release of Hocus Pocus 2 in 2024. On September 30th, Hocus Pocus 2 will make its world premiere on Disney+.