‘Practical Magic 2’ brings Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back nearly 30 years later

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are reuniting as the Owens sisters in Practical Magic 2, returning to the supernatural world of the 1998 cult favorite with a new generation of witches and another battle against the family's centuries-old curse.

Nearly three decades after Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman first played the witchy Owens sisters, the stars are returning to the roles that helped turn Practical Magic into a cult favorite.

Practical Magic 2 brings Bullock back as Sally Owens and Kidman as Gillian Owens for a new chapter centered on family, sisterhood and the magical curse that has followed generations of Owens women.

The sequel begins its international theatrical rollout Sept. 9 and arrives in North American theaters Sept. 10.

A cult favorite gets a second chapter

The original Practical Magic was released in 1998 and followed sisters Sally and Gillian, members of a family of witches whose romantic lives are complicated by a deadly ancestral curse.

The movie wasn't initially a major critical or commercial success, but its reputation changed considerably over the following decades. It developed a devoted following, particularly among audiences who return to the film around Halloween.

That fan support played a role in bringing the Owens family back to theaters.

At the sequel's recent European premiere in London, returning star Stockard Channing credited the movie's fans with helping make the new installment possible.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return

Bullock and Kidman aren't simply starring in the sequel. Both are also producers on the film.

The reunion is particularly notable for Bullock, as Practical Magic 2 marks her return to a starring movie role after several years away from acting.

The sequel is set roughly 25 years after the events of the first movie and once again puts Sally and Gillian at the center of a supernatural family crisis.

This time, however, another generation of Owens women is becoming part of the story.

Joey King and Maisie Williams join the Owens family

Joey King plays Sally's daughter Kylie, while Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams plays her other daughter, Antonia.

As the younger generation begins confronting its own relationship with the family's magic, the Owens women find themselves facing the curse that has haunted their family for generations.

Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also return as Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances.

New additions to the cast include Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod.

What is ‘Practical Magic 2’ about?

The sequel follows the Owens women as they attempt to finally confront the dark curse threatening their family.

According to recent reporting, the story draws inspiration from Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic and expands the story into a multigenerational struggle involving Sally, Gillian and the younger Owens women.

The movie is directed by Susanne Bier, whose previous work includes Bird Box with Bullock and The Perfect Couple with Kidman.

Akiva Goldsman, who worked on the original Practical Magic, is among the sequel's screenwriters.

Keeping the spirit of the original

Despite the long gap between movies, the filmmakers aren't trying to completely reinvent Practical Magic.

Bullock said during promotion for the sequel that preserving the original film's distinctive mixture of humor, darkness, tragedy and affection was important when bringing the characters back.

Kidman has also described the return as an opportunity to introduce a new generation of Owens women while allowing Sally and Gillian to remain at the center of the story.

That combination gives the sequel an unusual challenge: appealing to audiences who have loved the original for decades while introducing the Owens family to viewers who may never have seen the 1998 movie.

Nearly 30 years of ‘Practical Magic’

Twenty-eight years is an unusually long wait for a direct sequel featuring its original stars.

But Practical Magic has enjoyed something many movies never achieve: an audience that continued growing long after the film left theaters.

Now Bullock, Kidman, Wiest and Channing are returning alongside a younger cast to find out whether that enduring affection can translate into a new theatrical hit.

Practical Magic 2 begins opening internationally Sept. 9 before arriving in North American theaters Sept. 10.