Did Sarah Jessica Parker actually eat a real spider for Hocua Pocus?(Photo Credit –Prime Video)
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Turns out, the Sanderson sisters didn’t rely on movie tricks to bring their witchy weirdness to life. Back in 2018, the cast reunited for the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash on Freeform. That’s where Sarah Jessica Parker casually dropped the bombshell. When asked about that infamous bug-chomping scene, she confessed (reported by Cheatsheet), “I really did eat the spider.” Yep, she went full witch mode.
The moment flashed by quickly in the film. Parker’s character, Sarah Sanderson, spotted a spider, giggled, and chomped it like it was candy corn. Viewers assumed it was movie magic. But this was the ‘90s, things got practical. That bite wasn’t acting. It was commitment.
The Halloween Bash special, hosted by Halloween-obsessed Vanessa Hudgens, was loaded with nostalgic goodies. Fans got musical numbers, glam costumes, and behind-the-scenes reveals that cast a whole new spell over the film. One of the night’s standout surprises? Parker’s spider-eating confession.
The whole cast brought their own spooky secrets. Doug Jones, who played the zombie Billy Butcherson, admitted that the moths flying from his mouth weren’t CGI either. He really had bugs in there. So Parker wasn’t alone in her creepy commitment. This cast took practical effects to a whole other level.
And while the spider scene wasn’t central to the plot, it stuck in fans’ heads, especially once the truth crawled out. The only question that lingered? Was it actually a real spider? Parker never clarified. So the mystery remains. Either way, it wasn’t a prop with a cute flavor center.
Even years later, Hocus Pocus continued to cast its spell. The movie didn’t light up the box office back in ’93. But year after year, Halloween rewatches turned it into a seasonal sensation. By the time the 25th anniversary rolled around, it had cult classic status, and the sisters had become icons.
That love for the original paved the way for Hocus Pocus 2, which Disney dropped in fall 2022 on Disney+. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all returned as the Salem sisters, ready to stir the cauldron once more. And no one was surprised it went straight to streaming. Disney had already sent reboots like Home Sweet Home Alone and Disenchanted to the platform.
By then, fans were buzzing with questions: Who else would join the cast? What magical mess would the sisters brew up next? And how exactly were they resurrected this time?
But for some fans, the real question stayed stuck on Parker’s lips, literally. Spider or no spider, that bite became one of the quirkiest legends in Hocus Pocus history. Forget broomsticks and black flame candles. Parker’s impromptu snack stole the show.
Creepy, crawly, and totally unscripted. Now that’s movie magic.
