Principal Photography Sites and Studio Work
Hocus Pocus 2 was filmed primarily in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with principal photography taking place at Trilith Studios and Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to New England for exterior work. The production used soundstages and backlot sets in Atlanta to build the Salem town square and interior scenes, while exterior street shots were captured on location in Salem, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas to match the 17th-century setting. Filming wrapped in early 2022, and the sequel premiered on Disney+ on September 30, 2022. The project was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, with David Kirschner returning as executive producer and Anne Fletcher directing. The studio system and production logistics were coordinated by Disney+ original content teams, with post-production handled at facilities supporting Disney's streaming-first release model. The budget was reported by industry sources to be in the range of tens of millions of dollars, consistent with a major Disney+ original film according to Forbes.
Production design for Hocus Pocus 2 recreated colonial-era Salem using a combination of purpose-built sets and digitally augmented exteriors, with the crew leveraging the Atlanta studio infrastructure for controlled shooting conditions. The film's visual effects supervisor and cinematography team worked to replicate the look of the original 1993 movie while updating the aesthetic for modern streaming audiences. Key scenes featuring the Sanderson sisters' cottage and the town's central square were constructed on soundstages, with practical lighting and period props sourced from prop houses in the Atlanta and New England regions. The production also utilized the historic architecture of Salem, Massachusetts, for street-level establishing shots, matching those locations to the studio-built environments in post-production. Disney's distribution strategy positioned the sequel as a direct-to-streaming event, bypassing a wide theatrical run in favor of a global Disney+ launch as reported by Forbes.
Salem, Massachusetts and New England Exterior Locations
Salem, Massachusetts, served as the primary real-world stand-in for the fictional Salem in Hocus Pocus 2, with the production filming on streets and public spaces that evoke the town's 17th-century history. The crew shot exterior sequences around Salem Common, the McIntire Historic District, and other heritage areas, using permits managed by the City of Salem Film Office to coordinate traffic, parking, and public safety during filming days. The historic architecture of Salem, including its colonial-era homes and waterfront, provided the backdrop for the witch trials and town scenes central to the film's plot. Local businesses and residents were affected by the production schedule, with the city's tourism and film-friendly infrastructure supporting the multi-week shoot. Salem's long association with the 1692 witch trials made it a natural choice for the sequel's setting, reinforcing the location's branding as a destination for Halloween and film tourism year-round via the City of Salem website.
The Hocus Pocus 2 production also filmed exterior sequences in surrounding Massachusetts towns and rural areas to capture the forested and coastal landscapes needed for the Sanderson sisters' wilderness scenes. Locations in the greater Boston area and coastal New England provided the dense woodlands and open fields used for the film's night-time rituals and cottage exteriors. The crew worked with local authorities and property owners to secure access to private land and public parks, adhering to Massachusetts film commission guidelines for environmental protection and community impact. The combination of studio work in Atlanta and on-location shooting in Massachusetts allowed the production to control lighting and weather variables while maintaining a