Thora Birch revealed her involvement in two additional upcoming projects, Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+ and Netflix’s Wednesday series.
“I was just a little dismayed I wasn’t able to make it,” Birch said of the sequel to Hocus Pocus, in which she originated the role of 8-year-old Dani Dennison, one of the Salem, Massachusetts, kids who get caught up in the mayhem after the resurrection of the Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker).
Midler, Najimy, and Parker have reunited over 30 years later for a new story about the three witches, with Doug Jones repeating his zombie role. The original film’s young stars, Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw, are not among the cast members who will return for the sequel.
“I was working on something else when they were filming,” Birch said, revealing that “otherwise I was definitely going to be there on set with the girls.” That said, “I can’t wait to see what they do with it. I know they’re taking a completely different, fresh approach, so I’m excited,” she continued.
Despite not participating in the sequel, she is looking forward to the 30th anniversary of the first picture. “I’m still recovering from the 20-year anniversary of Hocus Pocus. I’m sure that this one will be even more extra,” she quipped.
Birch, who has acted in everything from Now & Then to Ghost World to The Walking Dead, had to quit Tim Burton’s Addams Family spinoff, which starred Jenna Ortega as Wednesday. Birch was due to play Tamara Novak, Wednesday’s dorm mother at Nevermore Academy, in the show, a part she recorded the most of before being forced to leave the set.
“Thora has returned to the States to attend to a personal matter and will not be returning to the production,” reports said.
Birch had said, “it became such a fluid, dynamic scenario aesthetically, creatively from episode to episode.” I’d recorded a certain amount, and there were some doubts about how much farther to go with that character, so there were just some alterations and adjustments done.”
As a result, “it didn’t work out that I would be able to go back, so they are finding their own solutions,” Birch shared.
Following Birch’s resignation from the Netflix series, Christina Ricci was revealed as Marilyn Thornhill, “an exciting new character.”