Thora Birch opened up on why she had to leave Tim Burton’s “Addams Family” spinoff series about Wednesday Addams and her absence from the “Hocus Pocus” sequel.
The 40-year-old actress Birch spoke candidly to Entertainment Tonight about her role in two new projects, Disney+’s “Hocus Pocus 2” and Netflix’s “Wednesday” series starring Jenna Ortega, while working on her Lifetime true-crime feature “The Gabby Petito Story.”
Birch told ET that she was “just a little disappointed” she couldn’t attend the “Hocus Pocus” sequel.
Birch portrayed 8-year-old Dani Dennison in the 1993 movie, one of the children from Salem, Massachusetts, who become involved in the chaos following the resurrected Sanderson sisters, three witches portrayed by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Nearly 30 years later, the trio is getting back together for a new story about the three witches. In “Hocus Pocus 2,” Doug Jones is also expected to return as Billy Butcherson, the “good zombie.” Vinessa Shaw and Omri Katz, two other original stars, are not among those who will appear in the sequel.
Schedule issues stopped Birch from visiting the “Hocus Pocus 2” set, despite her wanting to do so even merely to express her support.
When they were filming, I was working on something else, Birch admitted, adding that “else I was absolutely going to be there on set with the girls.”
Birch is looking forward to viewing the revival despite not being a part of the sequel. “I’m eager to watch how they use it. I’m excited because I know they’re taking a whole new, innovative approach “She revealed.
Birch also revealed to ET that she is looking forward to the celebration of the popular franchise’s 30th anniversary. She acknowledged that she is still “recovering from the 20-year anniversary” of “Hocus Pocus” but assured that the next sequel “will be even more extra.”
As Tamara Novak, Wednesday’s dorm mother at Nevermore Academy, the “Ghost World” star was also set to appear in Netflix’s “Wednesday.” Before having to leave the set, Birch had already completed most of the filming for the part.
Birch “returned to the States to attend to a personal problem and will not be returning to the production,” a representative for series creator MGM told Deadline.
ET was informed by Birch that the series “become such a fluid, changing situation from week to episode in terms of art and creativity. There were some concerns about how much further to take that character after I had already filmed a certain amount, so certain alterations and adjustments were done.”
She explained that as a result, “I wouldn’t have been able to go back, therefore they are finding their own answers.”
After Birch left, Netflix hired Christina Ricci to play Marilyn Thornhill, an “interesting new character,” on “Wednesday. According to Deadline, the actress, who created the Wednesday character in the 1991 movie, was brought in to replace Birch and would play a similar role.
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