Friday 30 September 2022 09:08 PM Thora Birch reveals why she did not reprise her role in Hocus Pocus 2 trends now Thora Birch explained why she did not reprise her role as Dani Dennison in Disney's Hocus Pocus 2, which came out on Friday. The longtime actress, 40, told ET Canada that she took interest in appearing in the sequel, but couldn't due to a prior commitment. 'By the time they got around to filming, I was already on something else,' she revealed while on the red carpet at Variety's Power of Women event in Los Angeles. Speaking up: Thora Birch explained why she didn't reprise her role as Dani Dennison in Disney's Hocus Pocus 2, which came out on Friday The star shared she was 'dismayed' that it didn't work out, adding, 'There were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by.' Although she won't appear in the sequel, nearly 30 years after the 1993 original, she said she' will be tuning in to watch it. 'I’m excited for the fans who have been begging for for ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ for years,' she noted. 'So yeah, I’ll be watching along with everybody else.' Reminiscing on filming the first movie when she was just eight-years-old, Thora added that it 'holds such a special place in my heart.' Flashback: The longtime actress, 40, told ET Canada that she took interest in appearing in the sequel, but couldn't due to a prior commitment; pictured in 1993 with Omri Kats and Vinessa Shaw Also not returning for the Hocus Pocus revival are Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, who played Max and Allison. Fans will still be able to enjoy three original cast members - Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Bette Midler - who all returned for the second film. Characters Mary, Sarah, and Winnie will lead the movie in their roles as malevolent witches. Back in August, director Anne Fletcher revealed that the sequel would explore the Sanderson sisters' origins, dating back to the 1600s. Disappointed: The star shared she was 'dismayed' that it didn't work out for her to be in the sequel as she shared, 'There were three options we had for how to bring Dani back, all of which I was excited by'; pictured with Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Bette Midler Teaser: Back in August, director Anne Fletcher revealed that the sequel would explore the Sanderson sisters' origins, dating back to the 1600s The opening sequence features child actors Taylor Henderson, Juju Journey Brener, and Nina Kitchen as younger versions of Winifred, Sarah and Mary. The sequence also features a young Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones), years before he became Winifred's lover. 'The opening sequence of the movie, we get some history of our witches and Billy. We get a little kiss — pardon the pun — of the Billy aspect of it and the world that they lived in and what happened to the witches,' Fletcher explained. 'I always missed that in the first one. Like, what are the witches the way they are? I did have that question, and the script came, and I loved the opening 1600s,' she added. Red carpet event: The stars attended the Hocus Pocus 2 world premiere in NYC September 27 All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility