History Trivia / HocusPocus

* DawsonCasting: An opposite case for this trope. The opening scene of the film's sequel ''Film/HocusPocus2'' is set in 1653 on Winifred 16th birthday, having been born in 1637. She was hanged in 1653 at the age of 56 in the opening scene of the original film. Creator/BetteMidler was 47 years when the first movie was filmed.

* DawsonCasting: The opening scene of the film's sequel ''Film/HocusPocus2'' is set in 1653 on Winifred 16th birthday, having been born in 1637. She was hanged in 1653 at the age of 56 in the opening scene of the original film. Creator/BetteMidler was 47 years when the first movie was filmed.

* DawsonCasting: The opening scene of the film's sequel Film/HocusPocus2 is set in 1653 on Winifred 16th birthday, having been born in 1637. She was hanged in 1653 at the age of 56 in the opening scene of the original film. Creator/BetteMidler was 47 years when the first movie was filmed.

* DeletedScene: Many, but few have been released in the film's 25 year history. A couple did appear on the anniversary Blu-ray, but they were silent and superimposed in the corner of the screen while the movie played.

** A filmed but deleted subplot from the film involved the witches using candy crows to lure children. Thackerey would have found a candy crow on his sisters pillow originally indicating she’d been lured away. The witches would have visited a supermarket to get ingredients to make some for their plan to lure all of Salem’s children. This would have also involved a scene of them being surrounded by dozens of trick or treaters who grab the candy crows from them. This explains why Max and Allison are not in a trance when Sarah sings to the children of Salem. Some shots from those scenes appeared in some trailers.

* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/BetteMidler herself had a hand in Winnifred's wig and makeup design, as she wanted her appearance to evoke [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland the Queen of Hearts]]. This is why Winnie sports rosy red cheeks and a distinctively heart-shaped hairstyle.

* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/BetteMidler herself had a hand in Winnifred's wig and makeup design, as she wanted her appearance to evoke [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland the Queen of Hearts]]. This is why Winnie sports rosy cheeks and a distinctively heart-shaped hairstyle.

* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/BetteMidler herself had a hand in Winnifred's wig and makeup design, as she wanted her appearance to evoke [[Literature/AliceInWonderland the Queen of Hearts]]. This is why Winnie sports rosy cheeks and a distinctively heart-shaped hairstyle.

** Creator/ClorisLeachman was the producers' first choice to play Winifred. Creator/KristinGriffith, Creator/SamanthaMathis, Creator/RocioBanquells, and Creator/DianeKeaton were also considered.

** Music/JenniferLopez auditioned for the role of Sarah Sanderson. Creator/ChristineBaranski, Creator/JoanCusack, and Creator/CarolKane was also considered

** Music/JenniferLopez auditioned for the role of Sarah Sanderson.
** Creator/ClorisLeachman was the producers' first choice to play Winifred.
** Creator/RosieODonnell was originally set for the role of Mary, but she felt too reluctant to play a scary character and turned it down.

* CutSong: At one time, the song by Music/{{Roxette}}, "Almost Unreal", was going to be used for the film in the end credits (hence "hocus pocus" in the lyrics). However, thanks to a bit of ExecutiveMeddling, it didn't make the cut, and ended up on the soundtrack for another Disney film (albeit an outside production distributed by Creator/HollywoodPictures), the film adaptation of ''Film/SuperMarioBros'', instead. Ironically, an ad for this film's then-upcoming VHS release appeared in the beginning of the original VHS of ''Super Mario Bros.''

* WordOfGod: Binx was not able to speak until the Black Flame Candle was lit - hence he couldn't tell his parents who he was or warn Max not to light the candle.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Creator/{{Disney}} infamously released the film in ''July'', despite it being a ''Halloween movie'', which was likely a big reason for it becoming a BoxOfficeBomb. They evidently warmed up to it eventually, leading to the film [[AdoredByTheNetwork playing constantly on Disney-owned television networks]] every Halloween throughout the 2000s.

* ThrowItIn: Originally, the script had Billy call Winifred a "bitch", but his actor Doug Jones knew that the language would make him feel uncomfortable, so he had to improvise [[spoiler:(right after he got the live moths out of his mouth by a knife)]] with the "wench", "trollop" and "buck-toothed, mop-riding firefly from hell" line, which the directors were impressed by.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Just like in the original, the plot of the 2022 sequel is kicked off by the characters accidentally bringing the Sanderson Sisters back to life by lighting a black flame candle, which can only be lit by a virgin. Unlike in the original, however, neither Becca nor Izzy are ever ''mocked'' for being virgins, and there's isn't even the slightest hint that it's inherently shameful or humiliating for a teenager to have never had sex--addressing a common criticism of the original film.

** A reference to one of the deleted scenes is kept in the film: After being resurrected, Mary says to Winnie “I knew I left this cauldron on, didn’t I tell you?” despite that exchange never happening in the film. It occurred in a deleted scene when the witches are about to be hanged Mary verbally wonders if she left the cauldron on and asks the people of Salem to allow her to go back inside to handle it. They don’t.

* DisownedAdaptation: Creator/BetteMidler has had [[https://screenrant.com/hocus-pocus-2-tv-movie-cast-release-date/ few kind words to say]] about the Creator/DisneyChannel remake/sequel, saying that it will probably wind up looking and feeling very cheap and that recasting the Sanderson sisters was a bad idea. On the other hand, Creator/DougJones (who played the zombie Billy) was looking forward to it. However, two years later, it was announced that a true sequel to the film was in the works at Creator/DisneyPlus, and all three original Sanderson sisters appear to be attached.

* NamesTheSame: The Dennison manufacturing company was one of the companies that helped popularize Halloween in America at the dawn of the 20th century by producing Halloween decorations; this makes Max's claim that Halloween is a marketing scam ironic as hell.

* BeamMeUpScotty: As Creator/BetteMidler [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bette-midler-hocus-pocus-misheard-lyric_n_63331485e4b0b7f89f39f577 herself revealed]] on Instagram in September 2022, her ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}'' ShoutOut in "I Put a Spell On You" actually goes "Hello, '''sailors'''! My name's Winifred, what's yours?" Not "Hello, Salem!" (where the film is set) as many fans and even a Creator/{{Freeform}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCTbr3vjb6I lyric video]] assumed for years.

* CaliforniaDoubling: Subverted. All the on-location scenes were shot in Massachusetts. But most of the film was made on a sound stage in California.

* BeamMeUpScotty: As Creator/BetteMidler [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bette-midler-hocus-pocus-misheard-lyric_n_63331485e4b0b7f89f39f577 herself revealed]] on Instagram in September 2022, her ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}'' ShoutOut in "I Put a Spell On You" actually goes "Hello, '''sailors'''! My name's Winifred, what's yours?" Not "Hello, Salem!" (where the film is set) as many fans assumed for years.