The Halloween movie genre cannot be defined without Hocus Pocus, an unintended consequence of the 1993 film that flopped in theaters. With its massive success, Disney has finally produced a sequel with all three Sanderson Sisters and Billy Butcherson returning. The big-name stars of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones have maintained reputations throughout Hollywood since the film's release over 25 years ago. Their careers were dominantly established before the film, but its young cast provided the foundation for its success.
Official claims seem to indicate that the original cast of teens is not returning for the sequel. Keeping their return a secret wouldn't be a first for an industry giant with a highly-anticipated sequel. Many fans suspect we'll see the original three Salem students. If not, what have these Halloween icons been up to after all these years?
Omri Katz — Max
With an established career before Hocus Pocus, Omri Katz's most notable role is that of Max Dennison. Before lighting the black flame candle, Katz starred in the long-running soap opera series Dallas. He'd appear in 149 episodes from 1983-1991. He'd reprise his role as John Ross Ewing in the 2006 TV movie Dallas: J.R. Returns. Katz also starred in Eerie, Indiana, from 1991 to 1992 as Marshall Teller. The role was revisited in a 2018 episode of a series called Childhood Thoughts.
Katz would appear in an episode of Freaks and Geeks in 1999 and General Hospital in 2000. According to his IMDb page, Katz is taking a break from acting. He joined his fellow castmates in 2018 for the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash reunion. In 2020, he announced on Instagram he would be opening a cannabis online apparel store, The Mary Danksters.
Vinessa Shaw — Allison
Another castmate where the Halloween classic is her most recognizable role. Starring as Max's love interest, Allison, Vinessa Shaw has made notable appearances in acclaimed films like Eyes Wide Shut and 3:10 to Yuma following Hocus Pocus. Her career post-Pocus consists of roles in various horror films like The Hills Have Eyes, Come Out and Play, and Netflix's Clinical.
In addition to film work, she's appeared in numerous TV shows throughout the decades. Shaw has multi-episode roles in Vegas and Ray Donovan. Her most recent projects include We Need to Do Something, The Blazing World, and 12 Mighty Orphans, all released in 2021.
Thora Birch — Dani
Our favorite '90s trick-or-treater grew up! Best known for her role last Dani Dennison, Thora Birch would go on to star in many other recognizable titles and is slated for the director's chair in the future. Following the success of Hocus Pocus, Birch snagged a leading role in 1994's Monkey Trouble. As she grew up, fans would miss recognizing her in Sam Mendes' 1999 Oscar-winning American Beauty, where she starred as Jane Burnham, the daughter of lead character Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey).
Throughout her career, Birch has starred in projects like Ghost World (2001) and appeared in nine episodes of The Walking Dead in 2019 and 2020. She will appear in Netflix's Wednesday series about Wednesday Adams; the cited reason she did not return to Hocus Pocus 2 due to conflicting filming schedules. According to IMDb, Birch is set to direct and star in an upcoming project titled The Gabby Petito Story, based on the tragic murder of the young woman and the events leading up to her death.
Jason Marsden — Binx the Cat
The voice of Halloween's favorite black cat is still behind the microphone today. Disney fans will recognize the voice of Jason Marsden from not only Binx but as Goofy's son, Max Goof, and Kovu from Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. Other '90s fans will recognize his face from Boy Meets World and a few episodes of Full House.
Marsden has an extensive voice acting career from multiple early '90s/2000s Disney series to Cartoon Network series like Teen Titans. He's used his talents to bring to life characters on The Legend of Korra, Fairly OddParents, and most recently Young Justice. With a successful career in voice acting, Binx remains one of Marsden's top credits.
Sean Murray — Thackery Binx
While our favorite feline's human form only appeared briefly onscreen, Thackery Binx is still one of our favorite cinematic big brothers. Hocus Pocus was Sean Murray's second feature film; his first, This Boy's Life also released in 1993. Following his Disney debut, Murray spent much of his early career acting in TV movies and one-off roles on various series.
His portrayal of Navy government agents began with the hit series JAG over six episodes from 1998 until 2001. In 2003, he stepped into the shoes of Special Agent Timothy McGee on NCIS. The series is set to celebrate its 20th season after being renewed in 2022 for another year. Murray has dedicated his career to the role, only starring in three other projects since 2003.
Ernie "Ice" and Jay — Larry Bagby and Tobias Jelinek
This pair of memorable high school bullies returned to fans for the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash. Larry Bagby, the man behind Ernie "Ice," continued acting following Hocus Pocus. While the film remains one of his top acting credits, Bagby's other roles include Saints and Soldiers and a supporting role in Walk the Line. His top television credits go to his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Young and the Restless. He's appeared in minor roles in various film and TV series to this day.
For Tobias Jelinek, Jay, Hocus Pocus was his first credited role. There would be a ten-year gap between a minor film role in 1997 and a 2007 short for Jelinek. For the mid-2010s, he would appear in various shows with minor roles in The Young and the Restless, The Mindy Project, and Shameless. Jelinek would return to the spooky, Halloween(ish) genre with a role in Stranger Things as Lead Agent in season one.