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There was a lot of excitement in the buildup to the release of Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney Plus in September 2022. The original film had hit theaters around the world in July 1993, albeit ending up as a commercial failure. The reviews from critics were also not that great, but the movie slowly built up a cult following and was often broadcast on Freeform and the Disney Channel multiple times over the years.
When a sequel was finally announced to be in the works in July 2014, one of the main questions on audiences’ lips everywhere was whether the original cast would be back for the new film. This turned out not to be the case, at least for one major star who was written out of the follow-up.
That actor was Thora Birch, who had played Danielle “Dani” Dennison in the 1993 picture. She said in an interview that her absence was as a result of a scheduling conflict with another production that she was working in, which happened to be filming at around the same time as Hocus Pocus 2.
When the movie finally hit the screens, fans offered praise for the actors and production value, although some questions were asked about the writing. Another person from the original film who was MIA in the second was former child actor Omri Katz. But was he absent because he retired after Hocus Pocus?
Omri Katz Played The Main Protagonist In The Original Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus followed the story of three witches, the Sanderson sisters, who are resurrected on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts. Max Dennison, a teenager from California who has just moved to Salem, accidentally awakens the witches and, along with his younger sister Dani and their friend Allison, must stop the witches from carrying out their plan to become immortal. The three Sanderson witches were portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.
Omri Katz played the role of Max, the main protagonist of the film. Max is a typical teenager who is skeptical of Halloween and the superstitions surrounding it. When he and his family move to Salem, he quickly becomes intrigued by the history of the town and the legend of the Sanderson sisters. He ends up being the one who inadvertently brings them back to life.
Katz was only 17 years old when he landed the role of Max in Hocus Pocus. It was his first big screen gig as well, having previously starred in the Disney Channel’s TV film Adventures in Dinosaur City in October 1991.
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Omri Katz Continued Acting After Hocus Pocus
Before he portrayed Max Dennison in Hocus Pocus, Omri Katz played the starring role of John Ross Ewing III in the popular CBS primetime soap opera Dallas. He enjoyed a recurring role in the NBC sci-fi horror series Eerie, Indiana, where he played the character of Marshall Teller. He had guest appearances on shows like The Torkelsons and The John Larroquette Show as well.
After Hocus Pocus, Katz continued to act, although he appeared in fewer projects than he had earlier in his career. In the mid-1990s, he had a guest role on the critically acclaimed series Freaks and Geeks, where he played the character of Brad. He also appeared in a few movies, including the 1996 TV film Dallas: J.R. Returns and the 2002 drama Journey Into Night.
Katz also appeared in an episode of General Hospital in 2000, as a tattoo artist. In addition to his film and television work, he also did some theater acting. He appeared in a 2001 production of the play Suburbia at the Second Stage Theater in New York City.
Did Omri Katz Retire From Acting?
Even as a teenager, being a child actor can be one of the most difficult challenges to deal with. True Jackson, VP star Keke Palmer gave a good illustration of this once, when she spoke about the struggles she faced in that situation.
“At a young age in the child entertainer world, your emotions are always the last thing that people care about,” she said on an episode of In Style’s Ladies First with Laura Brown. “And so I think in a lot of that, you end up being misunderstood. When you’re not always being agreeable, [people think that] you’re a brat.
Jake Lloyd, Ross Malinger and the Olsen twins are actors who started working in the industry as children, and grew up to quit acting. Omri Katz never went as far as announcing an official departure from Hollywood, but he hasn’t been in any movie or TV show since 2002. According to a report by Us Magazine, he is now the proprietor of a cannabis company called The Mary Danksters.
One way or the other, Katz has not closed the door completely on a return to Hollywood. Speaking in October 2022, he revealed that he would have in fact loved to be involved in Hocus Pocus 2, but was never contacted.
