Mary’s backward smile is essential to the plot of Hocus Pocus 2, but there is also a reason for the change behind the scenes. The new movie Hocus Pocus 2 came out on Disney+ just in time for Halloween. It was a big hit.
The movie broke the record for the best start for a Disney+ film in the United States, and fans have been mostly happy with the sequel. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker had to wait more than 30 years to continue the story of the Sanderson Sisters.
That is a long time, and even though some things are still the same, these characters have changed a lot in the last 30 years. For example, some fans have noticed that Mary Sanderson, played by Najimy, has changed in a certain way.
In the first Hocus Pocus, Mary usually has a crooked smile on her face most of the time. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Najimy said that this was something she made up on the spot for her character right before filming.
In Hocus Pocus 2, the famous smirk is back, but it is now the opposite of how it looked in the first movie. Najimy says this is because, at this point in her life, it is much easier for her to switch the smile to the other side of her face.
Also Read: Hocus Pocus 2 Cast: Does the sequel have the same Actors?
“It’s on the other side mainly because it’s so hard for me to do it on the side I did it on 30 years ago. I’m sure the fans are going to go into deep detail about why it’s on the other side. It’s just something I came up with the first week. This is a big comedy, so you don’t have to be subtle or have a 40-page Shakespearean backstory.”
That may be the reason behind-the-scenes for the change, but another reason is given in the movie to explain it in terms of the plot, and Najimy thinks that should be enough for anyone who is bothered by the backward smile.
“We can justify it because there’s a scene at the beginning where Winnie slaps me, and my mouth goes to the other side, and then she slaps me again and it goes to the other side, and sticks.”
