It's been a long time coming, but Practical Magic 2 is finally upon us! Ever since the Alice Hoffman original left us in the dust in 1998, fans have been hoping we get another glimpse into the life of the Owens.
Well, the intertwined pair of sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, are returning to the big screens sooner than we thought...
As the cult classic film sets its release date with the return of most of its main cast, here are the top seven reasons why Practical Magic 2 is the long-awaited sequel we've been dying to see happen in 2026!
The Sequel will Continue Alice Hoffman’s Legacy
While the first Practical Magic film wasn’t entirely the plot that Hoffman’s book was about, the Practical Magic 2 producer, Denise Di Novi, is confident that fans will appreciate the witchy source material even more in this follow-up story.
“I think [fans are] going to be very pleased. We’re going to be very faithful. We’re cognizant to how important those characters and that movie are to so many people,” Di Novi told Entertainment Weekly, “We’re not going to reinvent the wheel.”
The Book of Magic, which is the sequel novel of Hoffman, follows Aunt Jet (played by Dianne Wiest), who hears the deathwatch beetle. Does this ring a bell?
Well, after realizing she only has a week to live, the Owens family must now travel to where their ancestor, Maria, first practiced the Unnamed Art to try and break the long overdue family curse.
Fans Have Waited Decades for the Sequel
Like many previous underrated 1990s movies, Practical Magic is a hidden gem among the most bewitching stories told that deserves another chance in present times.
Even though the original flopped at the box office with a $13.1 million opening despite its $75M budget, the supernatural movie became a cult favorite over time.
Warner Bros. initially attempted to expand the world of Practical Magic with a prequel series, Rules of Magic, but the HBO series never came to fruition. So, what could be better than making the sequel come true, instead?
Sally Owens’ Kids Introduce the Younger Generation to a New Kind of Magic
Nothing could be more exciting than watching three generations of witches working together to break the long-running family curse once and for all.
Since the first flick shed more light on how Sally (played by Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens navigated their youth while living in the shadows of their curse, the sequel will likely pass the torch onto Sally's kids.
Apart from their Aunt Jet facing the reality of her mortality, Practical Magic 2 spotlights the next generation of sisters and their magic awakening in their youth.
Similar to how Sally and Gillian took their fun in discovering the truth behind their family and abilities, Sally's daughters will uncover the magic their mother had been hiding from them.
If that's not enough to entice you to go, this follow-up plot becomes even more mystifying when (depending on how much they plan to stick to the books) Sally and Gillian find a long-lost, perhaps estranged brother along the way.
The Sequel’s Looking Glass into the Owens’ Spellbook
Practical Magic certainly had tricks up its sleeves, but it's got more untold spells and stories waiting to unravel on the big screens.
From reciting love spells to wielding dark magic like resurrecting the dead, the sequel potentially expands the world and extent that the Owens family tradition has to offer to the real world.
What would make it more interesting is how the Aunts, Jet, and Frances (Stockard Channing) may help the generational sisters solve the new problem closing in on them despite living their somewhat mundane life.
The Owens Family’s Curse Has More to It Than It Lets On
Remember when their ancestor Maria planted a curse against those who fall in love with any member of the Owens family?
How come Sally got to meet her happily ever after, even when the family curse lived past her first husband? Does she truly get the happy ending she deserves with Gary (played by Aidan Quinn)?
Surely, there must be more to it than a temporary fix of forming a coven with the townswomen. And that should be one of the questions Practical Magic 2 should aim to solve for longtime fans of both books and the film.
Practical Magic 2's Release Date Leaves More Time for New Fans to Join the Club
Because it's a diamond in the rough, not everyone's caught up with what Practical Magic has in store for incoming fans. But don't worry. The sequel's given more time for you to join in the fun.
As recently revealed, the follow-up to the 1998 fantasy comedy will return to theaters on September 18, 2026! Grab your brooms, cast your spells, and catch the highly anticipated sequel before next year's fall.
What draws fans even more to the sequel is the fact that...
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock will Reprise Their Roles
Surprise, surprise, the original cast members, Bullock and Kidman, are coming right back to deliver yet another enchanting performance of the Owens family, 25 years later!
As Kidman previously confirmed, "Yes, I will be in it. And Sandy will be in it. And that's that. There's a lot more to tell, which is why we go, 'OK, this is kind of interesting now, to be able to do this'... [We] found a way in."
Apart from the two major leads, though, not much else was confirmed. The original two aunts, Stockard Channing, who played Aunt Frances 'Fran' Owens, and Dianne Wiest, who played Aunt Jet Owens, have yet to be confirmed as a part of the project.
However, considering their key roles in the flick, along with Sally's love interest and husband, Gary (Aidan Quinn), they're potentially in on it, should their schedules align with the filming.
Bird Box and The First Lady director Susanne Bier is directing Practical Magic 2, while Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the first movie's screenplay, is penning the sequel, too.
As for the filming and production, the one thing Kidman teased about the process is "moving ahead rapidly" while attending Time's Women of the Year event in Los Angeles this February.
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