Preview:
- Lee Pace and Maisie Williams are leading the new recruits for ‘Practical Magic 2’
- Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are back to star.
- Susanne Bier is directing the movie.
It’s clearly the time for long-awaited sequels to much-loved movies announcing clutches of new casting to support their returning stars.
With ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ recently adding actors, it’s the turn of ‘Practical Magic 2’, which will see the return of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witch sisters Gillian and Sally Owens.
aXsjdD07WjdkhxUCkl6FMAccording to Deadline, new for the sequel will be Lee Pace (‘Foundation’), Maisie Williams (‘Game of Thrones’) Xolo Maridueña (‘Blue Beetle’), and Solly McLeod (‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’). We also now have confirmation that Joey King is officially aboard after previously being in talks.
That’s not all –– Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who appeared alongside Bullock and Kidman in the original movie –– will reprise their roles.
Related Article: Joey King in Talks to Join Witch Family Curse Sequel ‘Practical Magic 2’
What’s the story of ‘Practical Magic’?
‘Practical Magic’ adapts Alice Hoffman’s 1995 novel. The movie follows two sisters, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Kidman), who come from a long line of witches.
Orphaned at a young age, they are raised by their eccentric aunts, who embrace their magical heritage. However, the Owens family is cursed: any man who falls in love with an Owens woman is doomed to an untimely death.
Subsequently, Sally and Gillian struggle with their powers and the consequences of the family curse. Sally attempts to lead a normal life, distancing herself from magic, but tragedy strikes when her husband dies.
Gillian, on the other hand, lives a wild life, embracing her magical abilities. The sisters are reunited when Gillian finds herself in a dangerous relationship with Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), a violent man. In an effort to protect Gillian, the sisters accidentally kill Jimmy, leading to a series of supernatural events as they attempt to hide his death and ultimately break the family curse.
What will be the story for ‘Practical Magic 2’?
While there are zero official details are available for the new movie’s storyline, King’s casting does open up a narrative alley we figured they’d take.
She’ll play one of Bullock’s daughters, the one who discovers the dark family secrets and her own dark powers, plunging the family into a crisis.
As for the newcomers (beyond King), we don’t yet know their roles.
But Wiest and Channing, of course, will be Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances respectively, who always have wise words for their nieces (and now, grand-nieces).
Akiva Goldsman, who worked on the script for the original, is back, with Georgia Pritchett, a veteran of ‘Veep’ and ‘Succession,’ also credited.
What else has Susanne Bier made?
Susanne Bier, Oscar®-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, arrives for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards® at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA February 27, 2011. Credit/Provider: Ivan Vejar / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Bier is a hugely respected Danish filmmaker who is more normally found in the indie sphere, though has been diversifying into premium TV in recent years.
She got her start with 1991’s ‘Freud Leaving Home’ and has since made the likes of ‘Like It Never Was Before,’ ‘Credo,’ ‘The One and Only,’ ‘Open Hearts,’ ‘After the Wedding,’ ‘Things We Lost in the Fire,’ ‘Serena’ and ‘In a Better World,’ which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year in 2011.
Her work has scored many other accolades and trophies, and she’s also been behind projects such as John le Carré adaptation ‘The Night Manager’ and White House drama ‘The First Lady.’ She is the first female director to win a Golden Globe, Emmy and European Film Award, collectively.
Perhaps most pertinent to ‘Practical Magic’ and its stars is her previous collaborations with both Bullock and Kidman.
Bullock starred in Bier’s Netflix thriller ‘Bird Box,’ the story of a world plunged into chaos when aliens arrive who send anyone who glimpses them mad.
As for Kidman, Bier handled HBO drama ‘The Undoing,’ which saw the actor starring alongside Hugh Grant in a murder mystery. And more recently, Bier tackled all the episodes of Netflix drama ‘The Perfect Couple,’ with Kidman playing the icy matriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family.
Here’s the statement from the filmmaking team on the new casting choices:
“Twenty-five years ago, Sally, Gillian, Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny flew off the pages of Alice Hoffman’s beloved novel and into theaters around the world, and we are thrilled to bring the Owens family back to the big screen with Joey, Lee, Maisie, Solly and Xolo joining the next chapter in our story. The enduring affection for these characters has been our inspiration to deliver the next installment in the Owens’ story to new fans, and those who’ve been with us since the beginning.”
When will ‘Practical Magic 2’ be in theaters?
We do now know when Warners is looking to release the sequel –– and in theaters, rather than sending it direct to streaming service HBO Max –– September 18th, 2026.
Production is currently underway in England, so all looks good for the sequel to hit that date.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Practical Magic 2′:
- ‘The Witches of Eastwick‘ (1987)
- ‘Love Potion No. 9‘ (1992)
- ‘Death Becomes Her‘ (1992)
- ‘Hocus Pocus‘ (1993)
- ‘The Craft‘ (1996)
- ‘Practical Magic‘ (1998)
- ‘Bewitched‘ (2005)
- ‘The Craft: Legacy‘ (2020)
- ‘Hocus Pocus 2‘ (2022)
