The countdown is on for Practical Magic 2’s theatrical release on September 11. Its press tour just wrapped up with two premieres in London last week and one in Los Angeles on August 31. They were full of ‘90s fashion nostalgia, and it’s been so awesome to see Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and the rest of the cast together on the red carpet.
When Practical Magic came out in October 1998, it bombed at the box office before becoming a cult classic over the years. During the LA premiere, Variety asked Sandra and Nicole if they ever thought they’d bring the Owens sisters back 28 years later. Sandy spoke candidly about her surprise at the first movie not being an immediate success. Variety followed up with the inevitable “Why now?” question, and Nicole responded that it was a matter of serendipitous timing. From Variety:
The Owen sisters may be back in “Practical Magic 2” 28 years after Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock first played the sibling witches, but that doesn’t mean the first movie’s outing doesn’t still sting a little.
The original “Practical Magic” was a critical and box office failure before earning cult classic status over the last almost three decades.
“We thought, ‘This is going to be such an amazing film. People are going to love it,’” Bullock recalled. “And then it got quiet. It got quiet. [They] were like, ‘How many women in a film do you need? How many tones do you need? What kind of film is this?’”
“And here’s the thing that I really wanna bring up and I bring it up ad nauseam: Griffin Dunne created this world with us,” Bullock said, referring to the first film’s director.
Kidman added, “And he loved us and he let us shine.”
Bullock continued, “It’s because of him, this film exists, and he never got to smell the flowers when we made it. So tonight we’re honoring him.”
Why did they decide to make the sequel now?
“It just happened,” Kidman said. It was more like serendipity, and it came, and we were ready, and everything fell into place. It’s like in life — you try to force things; it doesn’t work. You have to wait, be patient, and we both kind of open to it.”
“Practical Magic 2” is based on Alice Hoffman’s novel “The Book of Magic.” Directed by Susanne Bier, the film sees the return of original stars Kidman, Bullock, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. Newcomers include Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod.
This is the second time King worked with Kidman following the 2024 rom-com “Family Affair” with Zac Efron. “When you have someone who has been through so much, who is open and loving with their knowledge, I couldn’t be more grateful,” King told me about her relationship with Kidman. “I feel so lucky to be able to go to her.”
I’m happy that the timing finally worked out. I’m also relieved that we’re getting a film with (most) of the original stars rather than a streaming series that recast Sally and Gillian. Sandra stepped back from Hollywood while she was taking care of her late partner, Bryan Randall, so PM2 feels like the right project to come back for.
The long wait also gave them more source material to work with. The Book of Magic is the fourth book in Alice Hoffman’s PM series, and it didn’t come out until 2021. Once in place, production moved quickly. PM2 was first announced in June 2024 and filmed in Hertfordshire, England from July to September 2025.
Sandy told Access Hollywood that her two children, Laila, 12, and Louis, 16, have small roles in the movie, but not in an “obvious” way. It sounds like we may not see their faces, but we’ll find out soon enough. I can’t tell y’all how excited I am. I’m planning on rewatching the first movie this weekend in preparation.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman say “the gays are our family” and that they “can’t explain” their chemistry in #PracticalMagic2: “It happened the first time, and it happened the second time.”
Bullock adds that she didn’t expect the first “Practical Magic” to be received poorly:… pic.twitter.com/NhqY6IvqmL
— Variety (@Variety) September 1, 2026
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 31: Nicole Kidman wearing Atelier Versace, styled by Jason Bolden and Sandra Bullock wearing custom Louis Vuitton, styled by Leslie Fremar arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Practical Magic 2’ held at the Directors Village (formerly Westwood Village Theatre) on August 31, 2026 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1129863661, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 31: Nicole Kidman wearing Atelier Versace, styled by Jason Bolden arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Practical Magic 2’ held at the Directors Village (formerly Westwood Village Theatre) on August 31, 2026 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1129863770, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Nicole Kidman , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 31: Sandra Bullock wearing custom Louis Vuitton, styled by Leslie Fremar arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Practical Magic 2’ held at the Directors Village (formerly Westwood Village Theatre) on August 31, 2026 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1129863904, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Sandra Bullock , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 26: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman at Practical Magic 2 European Premiere at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square on August 26, 2026 in London, England.,Image: 1128637679, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: /Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 26: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman at Practical Magic 2 European Premiere at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square on August 26, 2026 in London, England.,Image: 1128637679, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: /Avalon
Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
Oh my gosh Nicole! Stop messing with your face.
She looks like a completely different person from how she appeared in Days of Thunder and I don’t mean older. I think at this point it’s safe to say she’s moved from fillers and botox to surgical procedures.
She can’t move her face at all and it’s so distracting.
she looks like an alien trying to replicate the human act of blowing a kiss. like she’s never actually seen a person do it before, and is working with notes.
Both of them, honestly. Just be beautiful, ladies.
I’m looking forward to the movie. I adore both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. I’ll miss Evan Rachel Wood in the sequel.
Sandy and Nicole are older now than the Aunts were in the original (they were 50 and 54).