The spooky family comedy Hocus Pocus was released in 1993 and is still beloved—and frequently quoted—today. Contrary to what you may have assumed, this Halloween classic actually first came to theaters in July, making this month its anniversary. That's when viewers first saw Max (Omri Katz) and his little sister Dani (Thora Birch) face the three Sanderson witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. While Katz acted in many different projects as a child and teen, his role in Hocus Pocus is still the most notable, thanks to the movie's enduring appeal. It was also one of his last, however. After 18 years in the business, Katz decided to leave his acting career behind. To see what he's been doing now and how he's stayed close with his Hocus Pocus co-stars, read on.
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Katz started acting onscreen when he was seven.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesKatz's first and longest-running role was that of John Ross Ewing III, the son of protagonist J.R. Ewing, in the soap opera Dallas. He started working on the show in 1983 and made appearances until 1991, when it ended. That same year, he began playing the starring role in the short-lived but fondly remembered supernatural teen series, Eerie, Indiana. It was canceled in 1992, but it didn't take Katz long to bounce back. Hocus Pocus came out a year later.
Katz acted in several shows throughout the rest of the '90s, including Freaks & Geeks and The John Larroquette Show. He also reprised his Dallas role in the 1996 TV movie, Dallas: J.R. Returns. The 2002 short film Journey Into Night is his most recent acting credit.
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Today, he runs his own cannabis apparel company.
The former child star is now an entrepreneur. Katz announced last year that he was launching an online cannabis-based apparel store, The Mary Danksters. The store officially opened in September 2020. "Lots of people wondering what I’ve been up to," he wrote on Instagram in March 2020. "Being a member of the cannabis community for almost 20 years now and jumping thru hoops of fire to get here I’m proud to announce our online apparel store... I’m so proud of what we’ve created so Come show your love and support."
On their official website, Katz's company notes that they are "ambassadors of the cannabis culture, with deep roots within the traditional cannabis community" and represents "positivity" and "unity." Some of the products that The Mary Danksters sells are t-shirts, hoodies, and hats, many of which feature the company's logo.
According to Us Weekly, Katz and his partner Michele Watters live in Los Angeles.
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He's reunited with his Hocus Pocus co-stars several times over the years.
This past October, Katz made an appearance in the reunion special, In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover, along with most of the rest of the cast, including Parker, Najimy, and Midler back in action as the Sanderson sisters. The one-hour virtual event was a benefit for The New York Restoration Project and also included several celebrity guests who aren't in the film.
This wasn't the first time that the co-stars have reunited since 1993. In October of 2019, Katz shared a photo from Freeform's annual 31 Days of Halloween Fan Fest, a celebration of the classic Halloween movies the network airs throughout the month. The group selfie features several cast-mates, including Vinessa Shaw, who played Max's crush Allison. The year before that, the network hosted the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash special, and Katz was also on hand for that. Shaw posted a photo from the event, hanging out with Katz and Birch.
Hocus Pocus 2 is in the works, but Katz hasn't confirmed that he'll be a part of it.
Buena Vista PicturesAfter 28 years, Hocus Pocus is finally getting a sequel. Disney+ announced in December 2020 that Hocus Pocus 2 is on the way and will be exclusively streaming on the service. Though the announcement says that Adam Shankman will be directing, the studio later shared that he had to step down because of scheduling conflicts. The movie will now be helmed by Anne Fletcher, who directed the rom-coms 27 Dresses and The Proposal. Parker, Najimy, and Midler will reprise their roles as youth-obsessed Sanderson sisters. And while there's no set release date yet, the long-awaited sequel is expected to premiere in fall 2022.
Katz, Shaw, and Birch, however, have not confirmed whether or not they'll be in Hocus Pocus 2.
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