Exclusive: ‘Earwig and the Witch’ Star Taylor Henderson Joins ‘Hocus Pocus 2’

A young up-and-coming actress is set to light the black flame candle. Taylor Henderson, who recently starred as the titular character (English dub) in Studio Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch, has joined the cast of Disney+’s highly-anticipated Hocus Pocus 2, The DisInsider has learned.

The sequel to the 1993 original Disney hit follows an aspiring witch named Becca. A teenager with few friends, Becca accidentally summons back the Sanderson Sisters on Halloween after finding a dark flame candle at the local magic shop- also the Sanderson Sisters’ former home. The character of Becca is joined by two of her classmates, Izzy and Cassie, an “oddball” and a popular girl who also happens to be Becca’s bully.

Henderson will play one of the new three leads, so I’m told, can’t 100% confirm the character she plays.

Read: EXCLUSIVE: ‘National Treasure’ Disney+ Series To Begin Filming Early Next Year

The film has quietly started production under the working titles Black Flame and Candles. Filming will take place in several locations including Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Los Angeles.

Hocus Pocus 2 will see the return of all three Sanderson sisters, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising their roles as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, respectively. Thora Birch has also teased her involvement in the project. The script has been written by Jen D’Angelo of Workaholics fame and will be directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal), who took over directing duties from Adam Shankman, who is currently working on post-production for Disenchanted. Shankman is still aboard the project as a producer. It will debut exclusively on Disney+, likely in fall 2022.

Released in 1993 and directed by Kenny Ortega (The Descendants franchise), the original Hocus Pocus focuses on three witches that were accidentally resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts. Together with his sister, the teenage Max Dennison has to try to steal the witch’s book of spells and stop them from becoming immortal. The film also starred Omri Katz as Max, Thora Birch as Dani, Vanessa Shaw as Allison, Jason Marsden as the voice of Binx, and Doug Jones as Billy. You can stream the classic on Disney+.

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