Since 1993, Disney’s Hocus Pocus has gained a cult following, and for whatever reason, the film continues to get better and better with age. Every time October rolls around, fans can’t help but pick up on new things they missed from watching the movie the Halloween before. But after 26 years, it’s time we take a look at some of behind-the-scenes facts about our favorite spooky witches and the town of Salem.

IT STARTED OUT AS A BEDTIME STORY

Back in 2013, the gang of Hocus Pocus gathered together for a 20th-anniversary screening of the Disney favorite. During a panel, producer David Kirschner mentioned how he came up with the idea of Hocus Pocus. And it actually all began as a bedtime story to his daughters.

Hocus Pocus went from a child’s bedtime tale to a short story published in a magazine turned into a major movie that’s watched time and time again when fall comes upon us.

It’s silly to think about Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah the witch in Hocus Pocus. She is such a talented actress that she can pull playing both a witch from the dead and a Manhattan writer who writes about relationships. As it turns out, SJP’s connection to Hocus Pocus was deeper than most. Years after filming the movie, she appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? where she learned more about her heritage. Wicked Local explains SJP found out that one of her ancestors actually died during the Salem Witch Trials after she was accused in 1692. Could it be her ancestor’s ghost who led her to the role in Hocus Pocus?

THACKERY BINX HAS TWO VOICES

Good ole Thackery Binx played a large role in Hocus Pocus. The film begins with Thackery sacrificing himself to save his sister, but it was too late. After the Sanderson sisters took her soul, they turned Thackery into a black cat that would live for eternity. Year after year, Thackery couldn’t be reunited with his deceased family because he was too busy living the life of a cat.

Listen a little closer the next time you watch this movie, though, because two people play Thackery. According to Insider, Sean Murray portrayed Thackery’s human body and actor James Marsden voiced Thackery the cat.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO ALMOST PLAYED MAX AND ROSE O’DONNELL ALMOST PLAYED MARY

This is going to blow you away. Instead of Omri Katz playing Max, Leonardo DiCaprio was offered the role. He said in an interview that he was offered “more money than I ever dreamed of” but decided to pursue What’s Eating Gilbert Grape instead. Likewise, Kathy Najimy plays Mary Sanderson, but it was almost Rosie O’Donnell who got the part. O’Donnell turned down the role because she didn’t feel right about being a witch who went after murdering children. But as we can see, Kathy Najimy nailed the role.

TAKE A LOOK AT HOW EACH WITCH RIDES HER BROOM

One of the greatest aspects of Hocus Pocus is how different each Sanderson sister is. Both Mary and Sarah seem to cater to Winifred because she’s the unspoken leader of the pack, but they all have their quirks. Winifred is bad to the bone, the sister with all the ideas. Sarah is boy-crazy and seems to miss the touch of a man. And Mary seems to be the more emotional, ditzy one. Coincidentally, that’s also how they fly their brooms.

The movie’s choreographer suggested each Sanderson sister fly their broom with their own personality. Winifred is pretty strong-handed, Sarah shows her love of flight while flying whimsically, and Mary flies with more caution.

SATAN & WIFE ARE ACTUALLY BROTHER AND SISTER

It’s Halloween night and the Sanderson sisters believe they’re in the company of Satan himself when they see him passing out candy. After being welcomed into his home, the sister treats him with the utmost respect — which he adores — but his wife, on the other hand, isn’t buying it. In real life, the Devil and his mistress are actually brother and sister — Gary and Penny Marshall.

ONE WORD: MOTHS

Sweet Billy Butcherson used to date Winifred when he was alive but was poisoned (with his mouth sewed together) when she found out he was sleeping with her own sister, Sarah. While the kids in the film thought Billy was out to get them, he was actually just trying to get back at Winifred.

When Billy wakes from the dead and is able to speak again, he coughs up moths. Well, the actor, Doug Jones, was actually instructed to have real moths in his throat to make it look as authentic as possible. The crew created a moth-filled pouch that Doug would put in his moth. When he opened his mouth, the pouch would open and the moths would fly out. Gross!

HOCUS POCUS HAS A BOOK SEQUEL

There have been talks about a sequel to the Hocus Pocus movie but nothing has been concrete. But if you’re really itching for a continuation of the film, you can always pick up the sequel in the form of a book. Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel released in July of 2018 and is described to talk about the Sanderson sisters and the next generation.

THE FILM GREW AS TIME WENT ON

While we may all be obsessed with Hocus Pocus nowadays, that wasn’t always the case when it was released over 25 years ago. Mental Floss notes this must be because the Halloween-based film was released in July.

After spending around $28 million on making the movie, it only brought in $39.5 million at the box office. As we can see now, the movie is seen in a different light in 2019; so if Disney does ever make a sequel, it will outshine the first by a long shot.

HOCUS POCUS X AMERICAN BEAUTY

Actress Thora Birch played Max’s younger sister, Dani, in Hocus Pocus. She was filled with life and loved that she was going trick-or-treating in a new town with her older brother Max.

On Halloween night, she and Max stop by Allison’s home (pictured above) for some candy. The house had a shining moment in the film because of how big and beautiful it was. Years later, Thora Birch was in American Beauty where the same house was used again. This time around, Birch’s character wasn’t visiting the home, she was living in it.