Hocus Pocus 2 Budget

What is the budget of Hocus Pocus 2?

"Hocus Pocus 2," a fantasy released in 2022, was directed by Anne Fletcher and stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for fantasy productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a fantasy production like this include:

• Visual Effects & Creature Design: Fantasy productions require extensive VFX for magical elements, mythical creatures, and fantastical battle sequences.
• Costumes, Prosthetic Makeup & Production Design: Period-inspired or wholly original costumes, elaborate prosthetic and makeup applications, and richly detailed set construction are hallmarks of fantasy filmmaking.
• Music Score & Sound Design: Fantasy epics typically commission full orchestral scores recorded with 80 to 100 piece ensembles, plus extensive sound design for magical effects, creature vocalizations, and immersive world audio.
• Casting: On November 1, 2019, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy expressed interest in reprising their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the sequel.

What were the major cost factors in Hocus Pocus 2?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Hocus Pocus 2."

• Visual Effects: Visual Effects & Creature Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
• Costumes: Costumes, Prosthetic Makeup & Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
• Music Score: Music Score & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.

How Does Hocus Pocus 2's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $30,000,000, Hocus Pocus 2 sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
• A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
• Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
• Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
• Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631

The median budget for wide-release fantasy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Hocus Pocus 2 Production History

On November 1, 2019, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy expressed interest in reprising their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the sequel. In September 2020, Midler revealed that she has entered talks to return in the film as Winifred, and in October 2020, she said she would return alongside Parker and Najimy, though their returns were not officially confirmed until May 2021. In October 2021, it was announced that Taylor Paige Henderson had been cast as one of the three leads.

Production was scheduled to begin in the middle of 2021, in Salem, Massachusetts. In September 2021, sets for Hocus Pocus 2 were confirmed being built at Chase Farms in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and Washington Square in Newport, Rhode Island. Filming began on October 18, 2021, in Providence, Rhode Island, under the working title Black Flame.

In October 2021, it was announced that John Debney, the composer of the original film, was set to return to score the sequel. The soundtrack, which features two new songs in addition to Debney's score, was released digitally by Walt Disney Records on September 30, 2022, and was released physically on November 11, 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. 3 wins & 17 nominations total

Critical Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 65% based on 157 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Hocus Pocus 2 is basically a boiling cauldron of nostalgia, but that's more than enough for this belated sequel to cast a reasonably effective spell." Metacritic gave it a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.