Directed by Susanne Bier
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing
In 1998, Practical Magic debuted on the screen, later extending its life on video shelves across the country and eventually coexisting among the millions of popular titles on the streaming platforms. Then, in 2026, comes Practical Magic 2, after 28 years (to my surprise), bringing back mostly the same cast: Bullock (Sally), Kidman (Gillian), Wiest (Jet), and Channing (Frances). However, the story’s duration here is a lot less in years, so Joey King and Maisie Williams (as sisters Kylie and Antonia, respectively) are cast as the Owens children to fit that slightly younger timespan.
As in the original, the Owens women are a family of witches who live by an ancient curse in which anyone they fall in love with would die a horrible death. In this latest installment, it is the Owens children, specifically Kylie, who finally learns of that burden. With Mom Sally hiding their magical potential, Kylie falls for Gideon (Maridueña), a college classmate, and we can only guess what happens through the predictable chain of events afterwards.
Practical Magic 2 keeps the 90s nostalgic vibe intact from the original, and that is one of its strengths. Reminds me of being at my folks’ house during summer break, where I get to catch up on all the video rentals I’d missed while in college.
Bullock and Kidman add a pro sheen to the production—we are dealing with 2 Oscar winners here, Botox and all. It is light romantic fare, with touches of tears and slapstick. So, yes, it keeps true to its DNA. Wiest and Channing do their thing, which is fine. Lee Pace fills in for Bullock’s love interest, but the chemistry doesn’t seem to be there. This is mostly Joey King’s movie, and Maisie Williams is pretty much wasted.
Practical Magic 2, light in weight and substance, still provides a respite from the real world. The lesson being we all need a little magic here and there despite all the craziness. But it’s hard to ignore the idea of a sequel 28 years later (no pun intended), especially when the original seemed completely out of my radar. It’s a sign that Hollywood has run out of ideas and would rather cash in what they can than come up with something new.
In its defense, Practical Magic 2 does hit a nostalgic and tender niche, one that portrays the beauty of sisterhood and family. It’s no Little Women, but that’s ok. If this is your thing, you might give it a go, but waiting for streaming would be practical.
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Ruth, we’re planning on seeing this one tomorrow. Looking forward to a little witchy movie magic as Autumn approaches. It sounds like it will be a nice dose of nostalgia, and that’s not a bad thing these days!
Agree – hope you enjoy!
Just came back from seeing it. My wife and I both loved it. It was great they upped the stakes considerably, and added a nice horror component as well. 100% fan service for the original, yet they also made it attractive for a new generation as well.
Hey Bruce! I still need to see the first movie. Somehow I just never got round to it even though I love the two leads. Now, I have extra motivation to see the sequel because of Lee Pace 😉
I have never seen the original film but I can’t believe it’s been 28 years since it came out! I still remember how heavily that film got promoted and it didn’t do that well in theaters. But like you said, Hollywood has run out of ideas so they’re making these legacy sequels. Soon, we’ll see Heat 2 and Days of Thunder 2. Also, they’re working on Crimson Tide 2! I don’t blame them because some legacy sequels are making a ton of money, Top Gun: Maverick and this year’s The Devil’s Wears Prada 2 were massive hits.
Legacy sequels indeed!
I kinda wish Kidman would be back for Days of Thunder 2, but Crimson Tide 2?? Wow, I had not heard that. I’m looking forward to HEAT 2 but man, there are just way too many sequels on the pipeline, but what else is new in Hollywood? 😉
Jerry Bruckheimer is producing both Heat 2 and Crimson Tide 2. He made the announcement of working on Crimson Tide 2 on a sports talk show last year, he also mentioned that Leo will be in Heat 2 in the same show. Lol! At that time, there were only rumors of Leo taking over Val Kilmer’s role but he confirmed it on that show and that’s when all the movie news sites starting publishing that Leo will be in Heat 2.
Dayum, Bruckheimer is still so prolific; that guy is 82 years old now! So Leo and Christian Bale are confirmed for HEAT 2 but I haven’t seen a formal announcement of all the cast, I’m hoping Adam Driver would also have a big part in that!
From what’s been written and all the rumors, it appears Adam Driver will be playing the main villain in Heat 2. I think he’ll do a good job, the character is vile, so it would nice to see Driver playing a disgusting and evil character. Lol!
Thanks for the fun and positive review, Vince!
“Botox and all”…. you got me lmao!
Thank you for that!
Joey King over ERW is wrong although ERW is way too old to play that part. The fact that the Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock spoke to Evan Rachel Wood about the sequel does piss me off.