Did You Spot These Witchy Easter Eggs Hidden in “Hocus Pocus 2”?

If you listen closely to the “Hocus Pocus 2″ trailer, you’ll hear the familiar “itch-it-a-cop-it-a Melaka-mystica” chant from the original playing, and the musical references continue in the movie. In a throwback to the sisters’ memorable rendition of “I Put a Spell on You” from the original, the trio perform “One Way or Another” in “Hocus Pocus 2,” proving that they most definitely still have the magic touch.

Additionally, per Entertainment Tonight, the origins of Sarah’s “Come Little Children” chant from the first movie are revealed in a flashback to the sisters’ younger days, when viewers learn that the Witch Mother (Hannah Waddingham) originally sang it to them in the Forbidden Woods.

In a movie about Halloween, of course costumes are going to have a special meaning – and that’s definitely true for “Hocus Pocus 2.” In a flash mob that ensues during the sisters’ performance of “One Way or Another,” a woman can be seen wearing a Madonna costume, just like Max and Dani’s mom wore in the original.

Additionally, there are not one but two references to the late Penny and Garry Marshall. In a bit of world-bending magic, a clip of their scene from the original movie appears on someone’s TV at one point in a touching tribute to the beloved sibling duo. Also, during the flash mob, two dancers – one dressed as a devil and one in her PJs – appear, a clear callback to their “Hocus Pocus” cameo.

The Black Flame Candle is at the center of the events of both the first and second movie, and once again, it brings Winifred, Sarah, and Mary back to wreak more havoc on Salem. This time, though, it’s used by Becca, who lights the candle while attempting to perform a birthday spell.

In the original “Hocus Pocus,” the aforementioned Black Flame Candle has to be lit by a virgin, and that rather outdated detail gets its own little reference in the new movie. As Olde Salem Magic Shoppe’s storeowner Gilbert (Sam Richardson) explains how the Black Flame Candle works, a young onlooker asks, “What’s a virgin?” In response, Gilbert stutters, “That is a, uh, a person who has never . . . lit a candle.” It’s a fun, lighthearted footnote to one of the more archaic parts of the original movie.

The Sanderson sisters’ infamous home reappears in the sequel, this time as a magic store called Olde Salem Magic Shoppe. Inside, fans of the original will recognize magical memorabilia including the Black Flame Candle and the spell book. Another fun detail: when young Winifred first acquires the book in the flashback in the beginning of the new movie, the very first spell she notices is a “cat transformation” spell – which, of course, was used in the original to turn Thackery Binx into a black cat.

“Hocus Pocus 2″ features callbacks to some of the most memorable lines in the original. Sarah can be heard chanting “Amok! Amok! Amok!” as she flies away on her broomstick just like in the first movie, and Mary also repeats “buh-byee” throughout the film. Also, when the mayor pulls up in their driveway, Mary calls his car “a very small bus,” a reference to the scene where the sisters ride a bus in the first film.

Additionally, Winifred summons her spell book once again by calling out, “Book!” – and she repeats the line “I haven’t lost my touch” as she locks Becca and Izzy away, a phrase that could also be the whole movie’s guiding mantra.

Many of the magical techniques that give the original “Hocus Pocus” its witchy charm reemerge in the new movie. The witches use brooms again in the sequel, though in a funny twist, they’re forced to rely on Swiffers and Roombas after their brooms are stolen. Also, Becca and Izzy use salt to protect themselves, just like Allison did in the first movie. And in the flashback section, Mary suggests using a “calming circle,” just as the witches did when things got out of control in the original.

Winifred’s ill-fated ex, Billy, has his own moment in the film, returning in his zombified state. “For me, it was absolutely surreal to be back in this look,” actor Doug Jones told Yahoo of his reappearance. “I looked in the mirror when they were done with my make-up, hair and wardrobe and thought: ‘Oh my gosh: two minutes have gone by in the last 29 years.”

The new movie also clears up a bit about Winifred and Billy’s relationship, revealing (spoiler alert!) that they never dated – they simply shared a single kiss. Additionally, Billy’s headstone makes an appearance in the back of the magic shop.

At one point, Gilbert, who runs the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe out of the sisters’ former home, shares that he was a trick-or-treater on Halloween night in 1993. Apparently, he saw the witches take flight on their broomsticks that fateful evening, leading him to become just as obsessed with them as the rest of us. He also reveals that he had his candy stolen by Jay and Ernie, the bullies from the first film.

Also, Gilbert has a black cat named Cobweb who lives with him at the magic shop, and while a connection to Thackery Binx is never made explicit, it’s also never clearly said that he isn’t a human soul trapped in an animal’s body – so there’s definitely room to explore that.