Hocus Pocus 2 Image Reveals Hannah Waddingham's Mysterious Character

During the Disney and Pixar showcase at this year's D23 Expo a brand-new official trailer was released for Hocus Pocus 2, and we fell under the Sanderson Sisters' spell all over again. The second trailer gave us more than a sneak-peek at all the magic in store for us this September 30, it revealed the sisters' past, and a mysterious new character. Known only as "The Witch" - for now - Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham made a surprise appearance bearing a very important gift for the young witches.

When the Hocus Pocus sequel was first reported, long-time fans of the 1993 Halloween classic may have been a bit skeptical. Certainly there were questions pertaining to the possibility of these three ladies rising from dust, but if they could bring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy back then yes, we were on board, or broom. As the witching hour grew nearer more news spread, posters dropped and teasers were unveiled. Gleefully, the Sanderson Sisters rose from their banishment to wreak havoc across Salem once more! Yet, something was hiding in plain sight all along - a mysterious raven that flew across Salem overhead, unassuming.

Turns out that raven is an important piece of the witchy puzzle. In the trailer conjured up for D23, it was revealed that fans will be getting some backstory on the sisters. This September we'll meet a young Winifred, Sarah and Mary deep in the forests of Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s - a famously bad time to be a young, sixteen-year-old girl. In the era of origin stories, we meet someone referred to only as "The Witch," who's revealed to be portrayed by Waddingham in the trailer. From the branches above the sisters the raven swoops down and transforms into a very glamorous woman as a reverend is heard casting out the children from their small town. The woman tells the sisters that "magic has a way of uniting," and that the people of Salem were right to fear them, before presenting Winnie with The Book, sans eye!

hocus-pocus-2-hannah-waddingham — Image via Disney

Though the trailer doesn't explain who Waddingham's character is or where she came from, she's been watching the Sanderson Sisters, and she knew it was their sixteenth birthday. She provides the girls with the spell book that becomes the catalyst for their reign of terror, and it's awfully suspicious that The Book, which means so much to Winnie and her sisters, doesn't have that protective eye yet.

Waddingham is most recently known for her role as Rebecca Welton, the owner of the AFC Richmond team in Apple TV+'s hit series Ted Lasso. The performance earned the actress a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a SAG Award. Waddingham's previous roles also include the treacherous and shameful Septa Unella in HBO's Game of Thrones, Sofia Marchetti in Sex Education and a recurring role on Krypton. After Hocus Pocus 2, fans can catch Waddingham alongside Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson in the Garfield adaptation set for a 2024 premiere.