Prepare To Get Witchy, Because ‘Practical Magic 2’ Is Happening!
"There's a little witch in all of us."
After 27 years, the borderline feminist masterpiece that is director Griffin Dunne’s Practical Magic is gearing up for its long-awaited revival at Warner Bros. So when can we expect the sequel, and more importantly, are Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman returning?
1998’s Practical Magic is the gift that keeps on giving, full of endlessly quotable moments (“Since when is being a slut a crime in this family?!”) and a charming tale of witchcraft and sisterhood—on top of some seriously iconic ’90s style moments from its leads, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Coastal goth-chic … yes, please! Over the years, the movie has become a fixture of Halloween programming, though it’s safe to say that there’s never a bad time to rewatch this, well, occult cult classic.
Based on the 1995 novel of the same, Practical Magic follows sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Kidman), whose bloodline has been subject to a centuries-long curse. You see, after getting her heart broken by a loser boy, the sisters’ ancestor, Maria Owens (Caprice Benedetti), doomed any man an Owens woman loves by ensuring their untimely deaths. Despite generations passing since Maria’s death, the curse still looms over the Owens family, and Sally, who vowed to never fall in love, finds herself the next victim after her husband—and the father of her two girls—is run over by a truck. A bit gruesome, no?
Meanwhile, Gillian finds herself in an abusive relationship across the country and calls on her sis to stage a rescue. Along the way, they commit a little sisterly manslaughter, putting state investigator (and Sally’s not-so-subtle love interest) Gary Hallett (Aidan Quinn) hot on their trail. Back in their sleepy Massachusetts town, the sisters seek refuge at their (lesbian? History will say they were roommates) aunts’ ( Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) house, where they’re sternly told to “clean up their own mess.” Eventually, Sally and Gillian break the curse, and the family, plus Sally’s new beau, live happily ever after … or so we think, because now, the story is set to continue.
Warner Bros. confirms Practical Magic 2: everything we know
On Monday, June 10, Warner Bros. took to social media after some reports leaked online about the possibility of a Practical Magic 2, confirming the happy news via … TikTok? Warner Bros. officially announced the sequel by posting the infamous scene in which Bullock and Kidman get down to the song “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson with the caption, “Me & the girls finding out that Practical Magic 2 is happening.” While the studio didn’t offer much in the way of specifics—release window included—Bullock and Kidman are on board as both stars and producers this time around, according to Variety. Akiva Goldsman, who worked on the first film, will pen the script.
In fact, Warner Bros. posted a whole slew of TikToks hyping up Practical Magic 2, sharing clips from the first film with captions like “Can’t talk, busy summoning Practical Magic 2.” So true, besties! Given that sequels and reboots are all the rage these days, it seemed kind of inevitable that Practical Magic would get resurrected by the higher powers at Warner Bros., especially considering the movie’s longstanding cult following. It says a lot about how timeless the first film really is that even after nearly 30 years, Practical Magic is still relevant enough to result in a followup. And the internet is so here for it.
Story details also remain unknown, but it would be exciting to see Practical Magic 2 explore the next generation of Owens women, perhaps, à la author Alice Hoffman’s 2021 book, The Book of Magic: A Novel. Either way, the movie would be wise to tap into some of that good ol’ ’90s nostalgia by throwing it back to midnight margaritas and the same spellbinding charm that made the 1998 original such an instant classic. Fun fact: Evan Rachel Wood played Sally’s eldest daughter, Kylie, in Practical Magic, meaning Practical Magic 2 could easily see her in the lead, perhaps with relationship woes of her own.
Although we have yet to receive a release date from Warner Bros., it would only be fitting to assume that Practical Magic 2 will arrive in theaters sometime around Halloween within the next few years. Sadly, we’ve got to be patient, ya’ll, as it seems like the sequel has only just entered pre-production. Still, with creepy childhood classic like Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice getting rebooted, all I can say is that it’s about damn time Practical Magic got a little love. “Keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can …”
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