A Behind the Scenes Look at How ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Cast a Spell on Rhode Island

Hailey Gaulin 

COVID Tester and Set Production Assistant, Harrisville

Courtesy of Hailey Gaulin

How did you get the job for Hocus Pocus 2? I’m an EMT and I worked at Med Tech Ambulance Service per diem. I happened to be working with a partner and I casually brought up how I applied to be a background actor, and she said, ‘Oh, they need COVID testers.’ I asked for contact information, and after a couple of hours, I got a response of, ‘Yes!’ 

Tell me about your role in the film. For COVID testing, I would prepare all the paperwork and anything we needed for the next day the night before. Everyone would show up around the same time with a line out the door. We’d have to check them in, give them their paperwork and sticker, and then they would come over [for testing]. We would have four or five EMTs or nurses offering PCRs and rapid tests. I would bring in my speaker every day to work. No one likes getting COVID tested, so I would play music and everyone loved it. Some would dance while in line. I tried to make it a fun environment for everyone.

Around December or January, they were pretty short-staffed for on set [production assistants]. I was like, ‘I’ve never done it before, but I don’t mind, I’m already here.’ I only did it for three days. One of our tasks was a lock up. You’re assigned a certain area and are listening for rolling cues. I’m on the outskirts of where they’re filming, and I yell, ‘Rolling!’ just to make sure everyone hears it and stays quiet. While they’re rolling, I’m checking out the area for noises and making sure everyone is adhering to that moment. I could be in that lockup for hours if they have to keep reshooting a scene and make sure no pedestrians come onto the set.

What were the COVID protocols on set during 2021?  Everyone was required to wear a mask, N95s were preferred. They were even strict about it outdoors. No one knew what people looked like. Only when they got COVID tests could you see their faces. The health and safety manager oversaw contact tracing and COVID protocols if someone tested positive. —Kerri Tallman

Courtesy of Joyce Iaciofano

“I came down to see the set. I thought it would be nice to see the movie and say, ‘I saw that. That was in Rhode Island.’ I came down to Newport and I saw some crowd scenes. I got to see the costumes as actors were wandering around, and I took some pictures. And then I went down to Lincoln first thing in the morning.” — Joyce Iaciofan, a fan, Narragansett

Photography by Wolf Matthewson

Kristen Minsky 

Extra, Providence

Courtesy of Kristen Minsky

How did you become an extra? I saw a call on social media. I knew they were in our neighborhood because we live near Dexter Park and the Armory. 

So you sent in your application with photos and what happened from there? I got a call back, and it was a couple of weeks later that I heard from them. I received a note about being on deck for Newport shooting for three days with some loose details on the timeline. I said yes, and from there, they sent additional details. I think they were particularly careful releasing details about this project because people of our generation were really excited to participate in something that they enjoyed so much as a child. 

You went down to Newport for three days of shooting? It was pretty rapid, almost twelve or thirteen hours a day on set. One was a daytime shoot, and one was in the evening in that twilight hour for trick-or-treating. The final shoot was a nighttime scene just leading up to when the Sanderson sisters perform on stage. 

What did you wear? I wore a vintage can-can costume that I procured a few years ago and was never able to wear. It’s bright orange and black, so hopefully I will see myself somewhere in the background. I was a festival attendee and also a mom during a trick-or-treat scene. I had a couple of kiddos that I strolled around Newport with for that moment. 

What was it like filming for thirteen hours? We’d arrive and be tested for COVID. Then spend some time being bused to wherever the primary holding area was or closer to the actual set. They provided meals which was lovely. They tried to rotate so you wouldn’t see the same background actors in every scene. Then it was take after take after take. A couple of times, I had the pleasure of being very close to the Sanderson sisters. I think my favorite parts of being on set probably were those moments watching the three of them play off each other. 

What was it like with fans watching from the sidelines? It was relaxed for the most part. A couple of people tried to sneak on set. Some takes took fifteen-plus times. I think a lot of things were shot from three or four different angles.

What was especially interesting about working with the stars? Sarah Jessica Parker seemed like a delightful person, and it was fantastic to witness her prepping in between takes. She sang ‘These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.’ It was nice to see that energy in those moments when she was singing and it made me think about how I prepare when I’m performing in public. —Jamie Coelho

Aliya Johnson 

Extra, Bristol

Courtesy of Aliya Johnson

The film is nostalgic for Aliya Johnson, who watched the original Hocus Pocus as a child. She participated in a scene when the kids enter a magic shop built inside a giant warehouse in North Kingstown. Among her set mates was a trained black cat who performed choreographed scenes alongside human counterparts. (It was unclear during filming whether this was Thackery Binx returned or another feline friend.)

“The black cat was the most well-trained cat I’ve ever seen in my life. The trainer would get it to do things. That was very interesting to see because you always wonder how animals are in movies,” Johnson says. “There was a part where the magician is talking about the book that the sisters opened and it’s sitting in the shop, so the cat had to jump on top of the case. Cats are kind of stoic, but that one was on cue better than the humans were.”—Lauren Clem

A scene from HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.