Practical Magic 2 Opens at No. 1 as the Cult Classic Finds New Life 28 Years Later

By Klep Napier | WeAreCritiX.com

Featured image: CritiX headline graphic over official Warner Bros. Pictures key art featuring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens in Practical Magic 2.

Twenty-eight years after Practical Magic first brought the Owens sisters to the big screen, the family has returned to find something the 1998 film never did during its opening weekend: the No. 1 spot at the North American box office. Practical Magic 2 opened atop the chart with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as Sally and Gillian Owens, turning a once-misunderstood movie into a full theatrical event nearly three decades later.

According to Sunday estimates from Rentrak reported by The Associated Press, the Warner Bros. sequel earned an estimated $30 million from 4,146 North American theaters. It added about $16 million from 77 international markets for an estimated $46 million worldwide opening. Those figures also put an end to the six-week No. 1 run of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which slipped to second place with an estimated $8.4 million.

A Box Office Win Built on a Movie That Had to Find Its Audience

The significance of that debut is bigger than a single weekend ranking. Practical Magic arrived in 1998 to mixed reviews and a modest theatrical run, eventually reaching about $46 million domestically. Its unusual mix of romance, sisterhood, comedy, grief, domestic abuse and witchcraft did not fit neatly inside the kind of box audiences were being asked to choose at the time.

The audience came later. Home viewing, streaming and social media kept introducing new fans to Sally, Gillian, the Owens house and those midnight margaritas. What looked like a complicated studio release became a seasonal comfort movie, then a cult favorite, then a generational touchstone. Practical Magic 2 exists because that affection did not fade. It expanded.

The Owens Sisters Return With a New Generation

Practical Magic 2 brings Bullock and Kidman back not only as its stars, but also as producers protecting a world audiences have carried for years. The story returns to the Owens family as Sally and Gillian confront the dark curse threatening to unravel their family, while a younger generation steps into its own power.

Joey King and Maisie Williams play Kylie and Antonia Owens, Sally's daughters, with Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod joining the cast. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also return, reconnecting the sequel to the family history that helped make the original so beloved. Susanne Bier directs from a screenplay credited to Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, with Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic providing the literary foundation.

Official Practical Magic 2 trailer image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

From a Complicated Reception to a Franchise

The first film's evolution is now part of the sequel's story. Bullock has spoken openly about how the original was criticized for being too witchy, too female and too tonally restless. Kidman has described the surprise of hearing, years later, that it had become a favorite for people who discovered it outside its initial theatrical moment.

That reappraisal matters because Practical Magic 2 is not returning to a dormant brand in name only. It is responding to an audience that kept the Owens family alive long enough for the culture to catch up. The new film's No. 1 debut gives that audience a measurable presence and proves the franchise has grown far beyond the reception that greeted it in 1998.

The Opening Weekend Is Only the First Chapter

A $30 million estimated domestic start is a clear win for visibility, but it is not the full financial story. The film carries a reported $75 million production budget, and its long-term theatrical performance will depend on how well it holds after an opening driven by nostalgia and an established fan base. Final weekend grosses can also shift when actual ticket sales replace Sunday estimates.

Still, there is something fitting about this particular movie becoming the one to interrupt a superhero's six-week streak. Practical Magic spent years being rediscovered one living room, one seasonal rewatch and one new fan at a time. Its sequel has now brought that quiet growth back to the place where the story began: the big screen.

Where to Watch Practical Magic 2

As of September 14, 2026, Practical Magic 2 is now playing only in theaters in North America and has begun its international theatrical rollout. Warner Bros. has not announced an official digital or streaming release date.

Reporting sources: Warner Bros. Pictures and The Associated Press. Featured and in-article imagery courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.