'Hocus Pocus 2' fan reactions: Disney+ film has 'just the right amount of nostalgia'

The movie's original cast reprise their roles as the witches of Salem and are joined by a trio of newcomers

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney's 'Hocus Pocus 2'. Photo: Disney

Almost 30 years after the original was released, Hocus Pocus 2 is here.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy have reprised their roles as the trio of witch sisters, Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson.

Fans of the film were poised in front of their televisions, ready to watch it the moment it landed on Disney+ on Friday.

"Hocus Pocus 2 was super cute and fun. Just the right amount of nostalgia. You can tell Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker had a blast making it," one viewer wrote on Twitter.

Others made sure they have spooky Halloween-themed set-ups prepared for their watching parties at home.

The actresses who play younger versions of the siblings also received applause from fans.

Taylor Henderson, 15, plays young Winifred, Nina Kitchen, 14, plays young Mary and Juju Journey Brener, 10, has taken on the role of a young Sarah.

"Can we also just take a second to applaud the girls who played the younger Sanderson sisters?" Twitter user @SarahFreer wrote. "They were so spot on with the mannerisms. Especially young Winifred! Brilliant brilliant casting choices."

This was echoed by another user, @siisizze, who said the three actresses did "such a great job playing the younger version of the sisters".

'Hocus Pocus 2' plot

The film is a sequel to the 1993 Disney film about three resurrected witches who are looking to exact revenge.

The follow-up has the sisters return to present-day Salem, Massachusetts, where a new group of high school students must band together to stop them.

In the trailer, which was released in June, we're introduced to high school students Becca, Cassie and Izzy who are preparing for a Halloween birthday ritual, which includes a stop at the magic shop. Gilbert, the shop owner, offers some cautionary words about how legend suggests that "on her 16th birthday, a witch gets her powers." The trailer then shows Becca and Izzy light the Black Flame Candle, bringing the Sanderson sisters back from the dead.

"Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we're back!" squeals Winifred Sanderson at the end of the clip, amid crashes of thunder and lightning. Next a short scene shows a man at the fair asking the witches if they're "looking for the stage" — a clear reference to their memorable I Put a Spell on You performance from the first film.

Watch the 'Hocus Pocus 2' trailer here