Practical Magic 2 Is Here: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Reunite After 28 Years

The Owens Sisters Are Back (And So Is Our Entire Personality)

Okay, millennials — grab your midnight margaritas, because this is not a drill. Practical Magic 2 has officially hit theaters, reuniting Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens nearly three decades after the original 1998 cult classic. Yes, it's been 28 years. Yes, we feel ancient. No, we would not have it any other way.

The sequel, directed by Oscar winner Susanne Bier (Bird Box, The Night Manager) and released by Warner Bros., picks up with the Owens sisters years after they broke the family curse. The story is once again inspired by the novels of Alice Hoffman, whose Practical Magic book series has quietly built one of the most devoted fandoms in modern romantasy. Early box office projections put the opening weekend at $58–63 million globally — a strong start for the fall season following a record-breaking $4.76 billion summer.

What Critics Are Saying (It's Complicated)

Let's be honest: reviews are all over the place. Some critics are calling Bier's follow-up a warm, touching reunion — a cozy blanket of a movie about sisterhood, grief, and second chances. Others argue that even the combined star power of Bullock and Kidman can't fully recapture the offbeat charm of the original, which was directed by Griffin Dunne. (Fun fact: both stars made a point of honoring Dunne at the Los Angeles premiere, noting he never got to enjoy the first film's success because it flopped on release before becoming a beloved classic on home video.)

But here's the thing — Practical Magic was never a critics' movie. The 1998 original bombed theatrically and then lived forever on cable reruns, DVD sleepovers, and eventually streaming. Its fandom is generational. And with Deadline already hinting the sequel lays groundwork for a potential trilogy, Warner Bros. is clearly betting that nostalgia plus witchcraft equals box office gold.

Why This Fall Movie Season Actually Slaps

Practical Magic 2 is just the opening act of a stacked fall slate. Here's what's coming:

• Verity — the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling thriller, perfect for everyone who devoured It Ends With Us.
• Dune: Part Three — Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis with Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya for the epic conclusion.
• Resident Evil — Sony's reboot of the zombie franchise could be the sleeper hit of the season.
• The Uprising — the buzzy September theatrical release rounding out the month alongside Practical Magic 2.

After a summer dominated by Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the fall pivot to witches, thrillers, and prestige sci-fi feels exactly right. Cozy season cinema is back.

Final Verdict: Go Watch It With Your Coven

Is Practical Magic 2 a perfect movie? Probably not. But is it a perfect night out — the kind where you and your best friends quote "midnight margaritas" at each other and cry a little about sisterhood? Absolutely. Bullock and Kidman have chemistry that 28 years couldn't dim, Bier directs with genuine warmth, and the Owens house looks just as dreamy as you remember.

So light a candle, text the group chat, and get to the theater. Some movies you watch. This one you experience — preferably with tequila, lime, and your favorite people. (Responsibly, of course. No actual spells required.)