It’s been 25 years sincePractical Magicwas released, and it’s become one of those quirky movies that slowly solidify their place in the hearts of many families. Like a cross between Hocus Pocus and The Gilmore Girls, the film blended supernatural fantasy with light-hearted comedy and romance, fronted by a truly winning cast —Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Evan Rachel Wood, Stockard Channing, Alexandra Artrip, Aidan Quinn, and more. Now, Bullock,Kidman, and original producerDenise Di Novaare backand teasing the upcoming sequel. Di Nova, celebrating her first gallery show as a painter, spoke with MovieWeb about thePractical Magicsequel.
“I think we know what people love about the movie,” explained Di Nova, “but thankfully, the fans are very expressive. If you looked at TikTok after the announcement, you’d know.I think we’ve had a lot of time to think about why that movie is still so resonant for people. And it’s pretty clear, you know, it’s sisterhood, it’s family, it’s being authentic to your true self, even if you don’t fit in. It’s finding the beauty and magic in everyday life, the practical aspect of magic.” The producer and artist continued:
“And it’s about, like, what saves you? What saves you in this life?That’s what that movie is about, family, joy, love, music, home, beauty, surrounding yourself with nature and beauty. People are obsessed with that house, that garden. It’s pretty clear, you know, and whatever the storyline ends up as,we’re going to be faithful to those things and to Sandra and Nicole’s characters.”
Practical Magic: Looking Back at 1998’s Witchy Romance Movie
Practical Magic is a romance with dark comedy and magic. Let’s take a look back at the movie.
The Practical Magic 2 Team All Knew the Moment Was Right
Practical Magic
Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian’s vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic. With policeman Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) growing suspicious, the girls struggle to resurrect Angelov – and unwittingly inject his corpse with an evil spirit that threatens to end their family line.
It’s rare to get the big stars of a 26-year-old movie on board a sequel, but according to Denise Di Nova, everyone kind of had the same thought at the same moment and were immediately interested in pursuing it. Di Nova explained:
“It was interesting.We all had it at the same moment. We all just kind of thought, with the world the way it is right now, that this is the time to do it.And, you know, it just never went away, that movie. It’s like, every Halloween, every Christmas, it just gets more and more popular. So I think after this many years, we’re like, ‘Okay, there is something with this movie.Something’s important here.'”
‘We’re Not Going to Reinvent the Wheel’: How Practical Magic 2’s Plot Will Play It By the Book of Magic
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s Practical Magic 2 return will be sticking to the tried and tested formula.
The newPractical Magicfilm will adapt the 2021 novel by the original author behind the first movie, Alice Hoffman.The Book of Magicwas Hoffman’s follow-up to her original 1995 story about the Owens family. The book’s official synopsis reads as follows:
“The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger — the curse is already at work.”
“A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.”
Practical Magicisstreaming for free on Tubi hereand available to rent on the usual digital platforms.
