Salvador Pérez, the Emmy-nominated costume designer, faced the exciting challenge of creating costumes for new characters in the highly-anticipated Hocus Pocus 2. The film brings back the beloved Sanderson sisters and introduces a new generation of witches, and Pérez was determined to establish deeper connections and more powerful relationships through their costumes.
To ensure that the young witches (played by Taylor Paige Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Juju Brener) were instantly recognizable as the younger versions of Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson, Pérez drew inspiration from the pilgrims seen in the original film. He began by “demolishing” the fabrics he used, creating a textural effect reminiscent of that era. For example, he bought beautiful wool fabric and then intentionally put it in the washer and dried it with tennis shoes to give it a nubby texture. Pérez also added faint dye to the white costumes, opting for pale green for Young Winnie, pale burgundy for Mary, and lavender for Sarah. This created a dirty white effect on camera while subtly nodding to each character’s color scheme. In addition to the costumes, Pérez added handmade bonnets that preserved the Sanderson sisters’ iconic hairstyles, as he couldn’t change their hair.
The Witch Mother, played by Hannah Waddingham, wears the most significant costume in the film. Inspired by the indigenous and endangered red-winged raven found in Salem, Massachusetts, Pérez initially created blue and red versions of the costume. Ultimately, he decided on the “Wiccan-looking” red version to complement Waddingham’s presence on screen. To add depth and texture to the costume, Pérez layered different shades of red on the bodice and ombre-dyed the hems to create an appearance of age. He also used shredded pieces of orange, yellow, and red chiffon to give the cape a feathered look. Interestingly, this unintentionally created a subtle nod to a Halloween costume worn by a character in the original film. Pérez found a great deal of storytelling potential in the minute details of the costumes, including using malachite and carnelian stones significant in Wiccan culture for the Witch Mother’s pendant. The sequels’ prominent symbol, the spellbook’s eye, appears on almost every costume in the film.
Gilbert the Great, played by Sam Richardson, is the only contemporary character who has ever seen the Sanderson sisters during their first haunting of Salem. Through a flashback to 1993, audiences witness teen Gilbert trick-or-treating through the streets of Salem in a wizard costume when the witches fly overhead. Pérez wanted to reflect this important moment in his adult costume. He imagined that if Gilbert, as a little boy, had a favorite costume, he would create a glamorous version of it as an adult. For Gilbert the Great, Pérez designed a luxurious white velvet cape with star appliqués and a matching cap bearing the spellbook’s iconic eye symbol.
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Pérez’s attention to detail and his ability to tell stories through costumes shine through in Hocus Pocus 2. Whether it’s capturing the essence of the Sanderson sisters in their younger counterparts or creating striking looks for the Witch Mother and Gilbert the Great, Pérez’s work adds depth and visual interest to the film. His use of texture, color, and meaningful symbols helps establish connections between characters and immerses viewers in the magical world of Hocus Pocus. As audiences eagerly await the film’s release, they can look forward to being captivated by Pérez’s costumes and the stories they tell.
