‘Practical Magic 2’ Review: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Break Hearts in a Spellbinding Sequel — SkimNews
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- "Practical Magic 2" reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens 28 years after the 1998 cult hit, directed by Susanne Bier and co-written by original co-writer Akiva Goldsman alongside Georgia Pritchett ("Succession," "Veep") and Kelly Marcel ("Cruella").
- The sequel unravels the original's happy ending by revealing the deadly curse from matriarch Maria Owens (Ema Cavolli) was only partially broken in 1998, with Sally having erased her daughters' memories of magic supposedly for their own good.
- Joey King and Maisie Williams play Sally's daughters Kylie and Antonia after Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip were controversially recast in the sequel, with the review noting King fares better than Williams, who struggles with a "rocky American accent" and a limited role.
- The plot ships the Owens women to England to investigate their 17th-century matriarch's history — a "familiar nostalgia play" the review says departs from the iconic Massachusetts home for more of the movie than die-hard fans might like.
- Lee Pace plays Professor Ian Wright, whom Sally and Gillian find naked in his London apartment under the influence of dark magic, sparking a romantic connection with Sally that the review frames as "tragic from the jump."
- Both films are based on Alice Hoffman's book series, which continued expanding the Owens mythology after the sisters had seemingly ended their bloodline's curse, allowing the sequel's reversal to function as a continuation rather than a retcon.
Why it matters: The 28-year-later reunion of two Oscar winners at a moment when studio nostalgia revivals ("Freakier Friday," "The Devil Wears Prada 2") are flooding theaters positions "Practical Magic 2" as a higher-prestige entry in the cycle — but the recasting of Evan Rachel Wood and the decision to relocate the Owens coven from Massachusetts to England for much of the runtime are the two choices most likely to divide the cult original's millennial fanbase.
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