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Nearly 30 years after the release of the cult classic, Hocus Pocus 2 has arrived to Disney+. The new movie features much of the cast of the original, and that includes Doug Jones reprising his role as the zombie Billy Butcherson.
Returning to the role was a bit different for Jones, as 29 years have passed between the movies. “I will tell you what, Billy Butcherson, is very physical,” Jones said during a virtual press conference. “I was 32 when I played him the first time. I was 61 playing him the second time, big difference. My first scene in the movie was stumbling up a staircase into a doorway. I’m like, [GASPS], I don’t remember it being this tiring before.”
When it came time to recreate Billy’s look in the film, the makeup and wardrobe were practically identical to the first film. This was useful to Jones, who admitted, “When I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, ‘Oh my gosh. Two minutes have passed in the last 29 years.’ He came back right away, voice and everything. I don’t know how that happened. But it was kind of magical.”
The character of Butcherson first made his appearance in 1993’s Hocus Pocus. He was Winifred Sanderson’s ex-boyfriend; however, Butcherson was cheating on her with Sarah Sanderson. So, Winifred poisoned him and he died. 300 years later, in 1993, the revived Winnie brought Butcherson back from the dead in order to help them on their mission for immortality. He ended up dying again, but now has seemingly been resurrected once more.
Jones is known for his monstrous roles in film. He’s best known for playing Abe Sapien Hellboy, the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth–all of which are Guillermo del Toro films. However, Jones’ role in Hocus Pocus 2 is a bit more whimsical and a bit more comedic compared to those other creatures he’s played. As Jones puts it when playing Butcherson, “I think goofy, floppy fun. And he kind of matches the energy and the floppiness and the fun and the overdone characters of the sisters.”
Hocus Pocus 2 is now out on Disney+. It’s currently sitting at a score of 55 on GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, with 15 positive reviews, 12 mixed reviews, and 2 negative reviews. Many who have seen the film find the plot to be a rehash of the first movie, but overall, it’s a lot of what fans know and love and is a bit of fun.
