Sam Richardson is playing a bookshop owner in Hocus Pocus 2

Halloween is right around the corner, with a slew of seasonally-appropriate fare on the way. After being briefly glimpsed in the first teaser for Hocus Pocus 2, Sam Richardson has shared new details about his role in the Sanderson sisters sequel.

“I play a character named Gilbert, who’s a bookshop owner in this world,” he says in an interview with Variety. “It’s a bookshop and a magic shop.”

While we’ll have to wait until next month to learn more about Gilbert, it looks like the character is key to setting the movie’s plot in motion. In the first look, he’s the one who informs Whitney Peak’s Becca that witches come into their powers on their 16th birthdays–which seems to be the case for the high school student.

“It’s so amazing to get to have had the chance to work with [Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy],” Richardson tells Variety. “I grew up watching that movie. I’m obsessed with Christmas and I’m obsessed with Halloween. So to be in the next Hocus Pocus, I was pinching myself while being in the scenes.”

After Richardson’s role as Richard Splett on Veep brought him more visibility starting in 2014, the actor’s stock has steadily been rising. The last couple of years have been particularly strong for him. In 2021, his work included starring in the well-received horror comedy Werewolves Within, appearing in Prime Video’s splashy sci-fi flick The Tomorrow War, and the guest role on Ted Lasso that recently netted him an Emmy nomination. Earlier this year, Richardson’s turn as The Afterparty’s leading man immediately became a career highlight, and he has a second season of the Apple TV+ series on the way.

Hocus Pocus 2 arrives on Disney+ on September 30.