Explained: Why did Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Jason Marsden not appear in Hocus Pocus 2?

Thora Birch in Hocus Pocus (Image via Disney)
Thora Birch in Hocus Pocus (Image via Disney)

While the sequel to 1993's Hocus Pocus created a lot of stir in the market, there were lingering questions about the long-drawn journey to the sequel, including the absence of stars like Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Jason Marsden, all of whom were crucial parts of the original film. Hocus Pocus 2 was released on September 30, 2022, almost 30 years after the original film.

Despite the continuity of the story, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Jason Marsden were all left out of the 2022 film, which brought back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson witches.

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At the 1990s-themed convention in Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday, the cast members opened up about their absence from the sequel despite their willingness to return to the screen. Their interview also gave a glimpse at the long and often unsteady path to Hocus Pocus 2's eventual arrival.


"What we like to say in the business: we had scheduling conflicts." - Thora Birch on Hocus Pocus 2

Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz in a still from Hocus Pocus (Image via IMDb)
Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz in a still from Hocus Pocus (Image via IMDb)

Initial rumors surrounding the film suggested that the actors could not return to Hocus Pocus 2 due to scheduling conflicts, but the actors revealed a completely different story.

During the panel discussion at the 1990s Con on Saturday, moderated by Michael Gioia of People magazine, Omi Katz revealed that they were not even called to the meeting for discussion. He said:

"We weren't invited to that meeting. So we don't really know why we weren't invited,...I think the fan base really wanted to see something with us... It's hard to really figure out the decisions that are made regarding what they want to do."

Thora Birch gave a deeper insight into what happened and told the panel that the entire process of developing Hocus Pocus 2 was “such a rollercoaster ride,” with a change in directors and writers and constant upgrades in every sector. She also revealed that their return was also discussed before they scrapped the four cast members out of the story. Birch recalled:

"The desire (and) the concept of maybe doing (a sequel) was about 10 years...But then there were numbers of different writers that came on board and different directors, and so the story and the concept and the direction in which they wanted to take, too, kept evolving and changing and growing....I do know that there were, along the way, some concepts and some ideas about ways to bring us back. And for whatever reason, it just didn't work."

She further added:

"What we like to say in the business: we had scheduling conflicts."

Marsden also added that he had previously spoken to co-writer David Kirschner, who reportedly told him that there are plans to include Birch, Katz, and Shaw in the upcoming sequel. He also told them this during the panel. Marsden revealed:

"(David) said he did try to fight to get you three especially. But there's a committee. It's a team. It's an IP now—intellectual property. It's close to your hearts, but it belongs to a committee now. And so it's left up to them to make the right decisions."

Sadly, fans will always regret missing out on these stars in the sequel to the popular Hocus Pocus.

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Edited by Somava