Summary
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are reuniting for a sequel toPractical Magic, but as exciting as it is, it’s also worrying after a big Disney misfire with a 65% score onRotten Tomatoes. The current wave of reboots, revivals, and legacy sequels has successfully brought back to life franchises and stories that still have more to tell, and among the latest additions to it isPractical Magic. Directed by Griffin Dunne and based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman,Practical Magicwas released in 1988, and it starred Kidman and Bullock as sisters Gillian and Sally.
Sally and Gillian come from a family of witches, who carried a curse that doomed any man that a woman of the family loved. After the death of Sally’s husband as a result of the curse, Sally and Gillian reunited and joined their magic talents to destroy the latter’s abusive boyfriend, Jimmy, who, after killing him in self-defense, returned as a vengeful, evil spirit. Despite not being well received during its release,Practical Magichas gained a cult following, which is in large part the reason why it’s now getting a sequel – but this is also worrying after a similar, recent sequel that was a disappointment.
Practical Magic 2 Needs These 2 Actors More Than Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman
Practical Magic 2 will most likely bring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back, but the sequel needs two other actors more than them.
Practical Magic 2 Is Worrying After Hocus Pocus 2 Was Disappointing
Hocus Pocus Finally Got A Sequel In 2022
Hocus Pocus 2didn’t succeed with critics or viewers, with a 65% critics score onRotten Tomatoesand a 47% audience score.
A sequel toPractical Magicwas officially announced in June 2024, with Kidman confirming her and Bullock’s return a couple of days later.Practical Magichas now joined other witch movies from the 1990s that have gotten sequels in recent years, but the return of Sally and Gillian is worrying after the disappointment ofHocus Pocus 2. Directed by Kenny Ortega,Hocus Pocuswas released in 1993 and introduced the audience to the Sanderson sisters: Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy), witches who were hanged, but not before Winifred cast a spell to ensure their return.
Three centuries later, the Sandersons were accidentally resurrected, and Max Dennison, his sister Dani, and his crush Allison stopped the sisters from using all the town’s children for a potion to continue living after Halloween night. Although it wasn’t a success during its initial release,Hocus Pocusbecame a cult classic and finally got a sequel in 2022. In it, the Sandersons were resurrected again, but they now looked to cast the Magicae Maxima spell to become more powerful.
Practical Magic 2risks falling into the same trap of not being able to recapture the first movie’s charm and heart.
Despite being a long-awaited sequel,Hocus Pocus 2didn’t succeed with critics or viewers, with a 65% critics score onRotten Tomatoesand a 47% audience score. Although it got a better critics’ score than the first movie (40% though with a 72% audience score),Hocus Pocus 2was mostly driven by nostalgia and didn’t have the same impact as its predecessor, becoming forgettable.Practical Magic 2risks falling into the same trap of not being able to recapture the first movie’s charm and heart, especially as, just likeHocus Pocus, they’re products of a specific time, and they’re fueled by nostalgia.
Why Practical Magic 2 Could Be More Successful Than Hocus Pocus 2
Practical Magic 2 Has A Big Advantage
Hocus Pocusis an original story, so its sequel also told an original one as well(despite there being a sequel novel, published in 2018). Although that gives any movie a lot of creative freedom, there’s always a risk, especially in sequels, of repeating the first movie’s formula or, simply, not matching what made it so good.Practical Magic 2has a big advantage as the original novel has a sequel, titledThe Book of Magic, published in 2021, which can easily be used as the basis for the movie.
Practical Magicwas always less popular thanHocus Pocus, so the former’s sequel has less pressure.
Thanks to this, it would be easier forPractical Magic 2to properly continue the stories of Sally and Gillian while expanding on their family history and the movies’ unique world. Another advantage ofPractical Magic 2compared toHocus Pocus 2is that, despite having a solid and loyal fanbase,Practical Magicwas always less popular thanHocus Pocus, so the former’s sequel has less pressure. It’s to be seen who else joinsPractical Magic 2and what its story will be, and hopefully, it will avoid the mistakes and disappointment ofHocus Pocus 2.
Practical Magic
Practical Magic is a romantic fantasy film directed by Griffin Dunne, featuring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a family of witches. Living under a curse that dooms any man they fall in love with to an untimely death, the sisters navigate love, loss, and their magical heritage while confronting family secrets and societal prejudices.
