Did The Ending Of Hocus Pocus 2 Hint At Another Movie?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Hocus Pocus 2"
After the end of the original "Hocus Pocus," one could be forgiven for believing that the Sanderson sisters were gone for good. Unlike their collective fate in Colonial America, which involved them being hanged for their crimes, Winifred (Bette Milder), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) did not read from their book of magic. This spell is why they were able to return in the first place when Max (Omri Katz) lit the black flame candle. However, Max and his friends are able to defeat the Sandersons, and the first movie ends with the sisters being turned into magic dust.
However, as illustrated in "Hocus Pocus 2," the trio is far from defeated, and their return spell is still in place. Tricked into lighting a reconstituted black flame candle, Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) must contend with Winifred and her sisters as they set out to turn Salem into a witch's paradise and cast a forbidden spell that even the magic sentient book wants no part of. The reason for Book's reluctance is soon revealed, and the intended spell of empowerment comes with a terrible price that leaves Winifred alone. At this point, Becca, Cassie, and Izzy decide to cast a spell that reunites Winifred with her sisters, but instead of resurrecting them, it turns Winifred into dust. Considering that both "Hocus Pocus" movies end with witch-based particulates, it's safe to assume that the Sandersons could indeed return, and this is made even more evident in two scenes at the end of the sequel.
The Witch Mother makes an appearance at the end of Hocus Pocus 2 in her bird form
So, what are the chances of seeing "Hocus Pocus 3?" There are more than a few loose plotlines, like Becca's latent magical power and Book choosing her as its next owner. Beyond that, even Bette Midler has expressed a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for another movie. As such, two different scenes at the end of "Hocus Pocus 2" definitely leave the door open for a sequel. The first involves the moment that sees Becca, Cassie, and Izzy walking down the street, and a mysterious yet familiar crow follows behind them. For eagle-eyed fans, this crow or raven is actually the Witch Mother (Hannah Waddingham) from the flashback sequence at the start of the film. The Witch Mother is the person who inducts a young Winifred, Sarah, and Mary into witchcraft, and it is implied that she is ancient, even at that point in the story.
With that in mind and the foreshadowed scene at the end of "Hocus Pocus 2," one can assume that the Witch Mother still haunts the forest and has watched the events of both films from the shadows. Although she appears to be friendly and helpful in the movie, it is important to note that she still was about to drain the souls of the Sanderson sisters before realizing that they have magical potential. This means that the character could actually be a villain in the next film because of her long life.
An after-credits scene shows off another black flame candle
As mentioned earlier, the mechanism in which the Sanderson sisters are able to return in "Hocus Pocus 2" is a recycled black flame candle that is created by Gilbert (Sam Richardson). As the owner of the trio's old house, he is obsessed with the women after seeing them as a child during the original film. Realizing that magic is indeed real, he wishes to bring back the sisters, so much so that he tricks Becca and Izzy into lighting the black flame candle on Halloween, which kicks off the entire conflict of the movie.
One might think that the second candle would be the end of it, but after sitting through the credits, fans are treated to yet another scene that teases a potential sequel. This involves a box labeled as the second black flame candle, which means that Gilbert actually made two, and that doesn't even account for recycling the original once again. This means that there are multiple avenues for a "Hocus Pocus 3," which are the Witch Mother, Book, and another candle. It looks like we might see "Hocus Pocus 3" at some point in the future, and there are many ways in which the Sanderson sisters could return once again.