Hocus Pocus 2 director Anne Fletcher has confirmed that stars of the original film Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw, who played Max and Allison respectively, will not appear in this year's sequel.
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Fletcher told Entertainment Weekly that they had originally tried to bring the characters back, saying: "We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, 'How do we make this work?'
"It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You're trying to stay on track with the story, even if they came in as a cameo."
Fletcher explained why the team steered away from bringing the pair back in cameo roles, saying: "People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, 'Really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry.'"
Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw and Thora Birch in Hocus Pocus. Disney/Buena Vista Pictures
Characters who have been confirmed to return for the sequel include the three central witches, played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson.
This means that neither Larry Bagby nor Tobias Jelinek, who played Max's bullies, will return, nor will Jason Marsden, the voice of Thackery Binx.
The new film's first teaser trailer dropped earlier this year, giving us our first look at the new group of school kids who will take on the Sanderson Sisters.
Check out more of our Film and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
