Hocus Pocus 2 to put a spell on you with '2 big musical numbers' set to 'familiar' songs

The ladies of Hocus Pocus 2 are ready to put a spell on you — once again — with a double dose of musical numbers in the Disney sequel.

Working with director and prolific choreographer Anne Fletcher, returning stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy pushed for the long-awaited Hocus Pocus continuation to include more than one sonic sequence as they aimed to recapture the magic of their classic rendition of "I Put a Spell on You" number from the 1993 original.

"We suggested that there be songs. That was our big contribution. We said, 'They have to sing.' We made suggestions as far as songs were concerned, and we went to the barricades on that. It was a collaborative effort where we were happy to defend our choices and also compromise," Midler exclusively tells EW, adding that she hopes the songs replicate the excellence of the first film's iconic performance.

Parker confirms that the songs include "two covers," which receive "two big musical numbers" in the final film.

Matt Kennedy/Disney + Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker give their first interviews for 'Hocus Pocus 2' — and reignite the magic between them like the Black Flame Candle.

"We would've done three if they'd let us," Parker continues, adding that the ladies recorded vocals with famed music mastermind Marc Shaiman before shooting began. "They're songs that are familiar to a variety of age groups….  It was a big conversation, whether we were going to use new material or redo a song, and the movie went through various iterations. Anne had thoughts and feelings about the songs, then they became hers because she's the director."

Najimy describes the setup for the songs' place in the narrative as similar to the first film's.

"It's the same concept. We're looking for something and find ourselves just like we did in the first one: At that big party, people are on stage, it's the same deal at the same Halloween party, but this one is outdoors and a lot bigger," she explains. "We had three drag queens [Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté, Kahmora Hall, and Ginger Minj] from RuPaul's Drag Race, and for me that was great because I've known Ru since he was 18 years old."

She also says that Fletcher allowed the cast to improvise as their lived-in characters both on and off the stage. She recalls feeling incredible energy from 300 background actors in the audience — a moment that was enhanced, she says, by the charisma of the drag performers on stage with them.

"At one point, I turn around and see [Kornbread] playing me, and I guess the line written was about the queen not looking great and me saying, 'Oh!' So, I turned around and said something like, 'Hello, beautiful!'" Najimy recalls. "She was so cute."

Midler feels that the performances have more of a shared feel between the three leads this time around, which adds a communal warmth she didn't realize brewed among them while singing "I Put a Spell on You" until she watched the first film a second time.

Disney + Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy in 'Hocus Pocus 2'

"When I saw the first movie, I thought, 'Bette, you're doing a great job, it's you, you, you,' but I saw it a second time and I saw what those girls did behind me, and I thought, 'These girls are stealing everything that's not nailed down!' It made me laugh hysterically," Midler finishes. "It's all shared now. It's a three-way composition as far as the sisters are concerned. It feels very sisterly. It's much more loving than it used to be. After 30 years in purgatory or limbo, they're happy to be free again."

Hocus Pocus 2 — also starring Doug Jones, Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham — premieres Sept. 30 on Disney+. Read EW's full preview with Midler, Parker, and Najimy.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Hocus Pocus 2 stars reflect on reuniting to resurrect the Sanderson Sisters: 'It's quite satisfying'

• Omri Katz 'would have loved to be involved' in Hocus Pocus 2, praises sequel's 'new direction'

• Billy Butcherson returns from the grave in Hocus Pocus 2 first look photo

• Hocus Pocus 2 will explain the Sanderson Sisters' origins as children in the 1600s

• Meet Cobweb, the Hocus Pocus 2 cat who's definitely not Thackery Binx

• Kathy Najimy offered to call RuPaul to recommend Kornbread for Drag Race on Hocus Pocus 2 set