Overview
- Practical Magic 2, which reunites Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, is due in theaters on Sept. 10 and features a cast that includes Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest.
- Kidman made a surprise appearance at a Sydney preview on Friday, handing out ‘midnight margaritas’ to fans and drawing attention for an Erdem floral gown and red heels she wore to the event.
- The film’s decision to recast the Owens sisters’ daughters with Maisie Williams and Joey King has prompted public reactions from original child actors, with Evan Rachel Wood saying she was sad not to return and Alexandra Artrip urging fans not to turn her social channels into a space for negativity.
- Director Susanne Bier has defended the recasting as a story-driven choice because the daughters are portrayed as just out of college, and Sandra Bullock has said a third film is possible if the sequel performs well at the box office.
- Studios and cast say strong streaming interest in the 1998 original helped greenlight the sequel, and industry observers will be watching whether that nostalgia translates into theatrical revenue and a longer-term franchise led by the new younger cast.