I wrote 'Hocus Pocus 2' without knowing whether Sarah Jessica Parker and the original cast would return. So I pitched the version I wanted to see and won them over.

• Jen D'Angelo is a huge fan of the original movie.

• It was a dream to be on the set of the sequel.

• D'Angelo was under pressure to write a sequel to her first one.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jen D'Angelo. It has been edited to make it clearer.

Early on, I wanted to be a writer.

I was left home alone for a few hours and found my brother's VHS tape of "Scream" I wanted to write my own scary story.

Every year I write a Halloween story and watch "Hocus Pocus" on Halloween. I like to write scary ghost stories.

After working on my writing, I went on to study screenwriting at a great university. I did stand up comedy and sketch comedy.

After graduating from college, I moved to Los Angeles to work in entertainment. I was a writer and performer at the theatre founded by Amy Poehler.

My first TV writing gig came out of nowhere

I wrote for "Cougar Town" in season five. I was surprised and excited when my agent told me they had sent my stuff to the show and I had a meeting. It was a dream job that came out of the blue.

My TV writing career began at that time. I was working on a few different shows when I decided to focus on writing features. Disney got to know me because I wrote a feature sample that was passed around.

They reached out to my agent in order to set up a meeting with me. I couldn't respond quickly enough when my agent forwarded the email. I was excited to tell them about my ideas for how we could continue the story.

My writing process is pretty straightforward

I don't have a lot of processes for writing. I just sit down and write.

There is a coffee shop near my house in LA. "EXTERIOR: SALEM, 1600s" was the first thing I wrote when I got the job. I thought I was writing a novel in my coffee shop.

It was great. I got embarrassed when I took a picture of my computer with the opening line in the background.

We didn't know if the original cast would sign on

When I got the job, I asked if the original Sanderson sisters were going to come back. If we got the right script in front of them, it was promising.

We didn't know if we'd only get them in a small role or if we'd get them for the entire movie.

I wrote a version of "Hocus Pocus" that I would like to see again, with the original Sanderson Sisters as the main villains. I wanted the best for that version.

Lynn Harris, the producer, joined us after I worked on the script with Disney.

They signed on to be in the movie after receiving the script from us. I was very happy.

Being on set during the filming of "Hocus Pocus 2" was so thrilling

The entire film was filmed in Providence, Rhode Island.

I'd be there to rewrite part of the story if something happened at a location.

I had a great time on set with the production. It was great to see the sisters in costume for the first time.

I wanted to give the sequel that same strong emotional core that the original had

I wanted to keep the emotional part of the original. It all came back to the sisters.

I remember all of the fights I had with my friends in high school because we didn't have the vocabulary to articulate our feelings.

It feels like everything is heavier than it is. I wanted to explore what other types of sisterhood could be, so I brought the Sanderson sisters in.

I hope people feel my love for the original "Hocus Pocus"

I didn't want to let fans down and that's why I wrote the sequel. Getting the chance to write the next chapter has been a dream come true.

I hope people leave the movie because they want to call their friends and say how much they love them.

The main theme of friendship is that friends we can lean on and who make us stronger are important.

Email Eboykinpatterson@ Insider.com if you'd like to share your story about working in Hollywood.

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