Billy’s curse is lifted in Hocus Pocus 2 after the defeat of the Sanderson sisters, but it begs the question of why this didn’t happen in the original.
Warning! SPOILERS for Hocus Pocus 2.Billy Butcherson is finally released from his curse in… Hocus pocus 2 creates a pit for the first film. Winifred Sanderson’s former “lover” Billy is one of the recurring characters in Hocus pocus 2, with his hatred for the witches still intact. After being turned into a zombie hundreds of years ago, he is finally freed, but the intricacies surrounding the event confuse how the magic works in the Hocus Pocus world.
although Hocus pocus 2 Set 30 years after the original, flashbacks in the film provide further insight into the history of the Sanderson sisters and their magic. The film introduces Hannah Waddingham as The Witch Mother, who is responsible for providing the girls with the iconic spellbook. The spellbook is responsible for most of the terror the sisters inflict on the city of Salem and its residents, including Billy Butcherson. The added background changes the display of Hocus Pocus‘ Sanderson sisters, making them less mean than in the original movie.
In hocus pocus, when the witches are defeated, their curses are broken, freeing Thackery Binx from his curse of being a cat. However, this is not the case for Billy Butcherson, who instead returns to his grave to sleep. As Hocus pocus 2 reveals, Billy was actually awake the whole time. When Magicae Maxima’s curse is lifted at the end of the film and Winifred once again turns to dust with her sisters, this time Billy is also freed from their previous curse. This creates a plot gap between the two films as it doesn’t explain why Thackery was initially released in the first film but not Billy.
Why Billy Butcherson Was Freed From His Curse In Hocus Pocus 2
although Hocus pocus 2 ends similarly to the first film, there are some key differences that may explain why Billy was released this time. Billy’s mouth was sewn shut so he couldn’t speak the truth about what actually happened between him and Winifred, which turned out to be just a kiss. In the sequel film, he was finally able to spread his truth that he was the lover of Sanderson’s oldest sister, possibly allowing his soul to finally rest. Notably, Thackery was able to make up for not saving his sister by saving Dani and resting his soul too. Billy was also an important part of the Magicae Maxima spell, so when the spell was undone by Becca, it probably affected Billy as well.
Just like the first movie, Hocus pocus 2 ends with the Sanderson sisters seemingly gone forever. The scene with the credits in Hocus pocus 2 reveals another black flam candle, hinting at a possible third movie. Now that the Sanderson sisters are portrayed as less evil than before, they can return in the follow-up as support for the protagonists.
