Bette Midler arrives at the 'Hocus Pocus 2' World Premiere Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American supernatural comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. A sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus, it stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones reprising their roles while Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham join the cast in new roles. Filming took place from October 2021 to January 2022 in Rhode Island, replacing Salem, Massachusetts. It was released on Disney+ on September 30, 2022. Unlike the original, the film received a mixed-to-positive response from critics, praising the cast performances, and humor, but criticized the plot.