Thora Birch Reveals Reason 'Hocus Pocus 2' Return Didn't Work Out and If She'll Still Watch (Exclusive)

After revealing that she was “dismayed” she couldn’t reprise her role as Dani Dennison in Hocus Pocus 2, Thora Birch spoke with ET on the red carpet at the Variety Power of Women event, where she explained that there were attempts made to have her return for the sequel and shared whether she’s planning to watch.

Nearly 30 years after Hocus Pocus was released, the new film reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are resurrected. In the original, Birch was one of the kids caught up in all the chaos and mayhem that followed their return to Salem, Massachusetts. 

Although Birch wasn’t included in the sequel, she says “there were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by.” However, “by the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else,” she continues, explaining that she was working on another project. 

As she explained earlier in the year, while on the set of her new Lifetime movie, The Gabby Petito Story, “I was working on something else when they were filming,” she said at the time, offering that “otherwise I was definitely going to be there on set with the girls.” 

That said, there seems to be no ill will, with Birch revealing that she plans to stream the new film. “Oh, absolutely. I’m excited for the fans who have been begging for Hocus Pocus 2 for years,” she shares. “So yeah, I’ll be watching along with everybody else.” 

She adds that the original “holds such a special place in my heart.”

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