practical magic

The Owens family curse strikes again — and this time it’s here for the next generation.

In the new trailer for “Practical Magic 2,” released Wednesday, Sally’s (Sandra Bullock) daughter Kylie (Joey King) learns about her family’s legacy and curse after her paramour is involved in an accident.

“It’s true, we’re witches and the curse is real,” Sally tells a tearful Kylie, who along with her sister (Maisie Williams) grew up being told stories where everyone who fell in love died. But the siblings didn’t believe they were actually cursed.

“I will never trust you again,” Kylie responds.

Directed by Susanne Bier, the sequel of 1998’s “Practical Magic” will follow Sally and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) as they chase after Kylie who has set off to “fix the curse,” which will put her on a dark path. Along the way, the sisters encounter a mysterious “scholar of the craft” played by Lee Pace.

The trailer also offers a glimpse into Sally and Gillian’s present lives — with the latter teasing the former’s apparent lack of love life. It seems Sally is uninterested in tempting the fates since for generations those who have fallen in love with members of the Owens family have been cursed to die. Even after things take a turn with the tragic accident, it’s clear that their sisterly bond remains strong. While Sally seems worried about her daughters inheriting her powers, the clip also hints that there might be some happier times ahead.

Also returning for the sequel are Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who play Sally and Gilly’s aunts Jet and Franny Owens. In the original film, Jet and Fran are the witchy, eccentric aunts who took in their nieces after their parents died. The “Practical Magic 2” cast also includes Xolo Maridueña, who plays Kylie’s seemingly ill-fated love interest, and Solly McLeod.

Written by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, “Practical Magic 2” is based on the 2021 novel “The Book of Magic,” the fourth and final installment of author Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series.

“Practical Magic 2” will hit theaters Sept. 11.

Open your spellbooks. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have returned in the trailer for “Practical Magic 2.”

Warner Bros. released the trailer for the highly anticipated film after it was screened Wednesday at CinemaCon — an annual convention in Las Vegas for movie theater owners. The film will be released Sept. 11, nearly 28 years after the original debuted.

The sequel, directed by Susanne Bier, follows sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) Owens, as Sally’s daughter (Joey King) uncovers family secrets and develops her own magical abilities. Warner Bros. announced the sequel on TikTok in June 2024.

Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod have joined the cast. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest will reprise their roles as Frances and Jet Owens, the aunts who raised Sally and Gillian. In the trailer, the sisters must leave their homes on a mysterious adventure. Sally even pokes fun at their past, comparing their current journey to the previous film.

“‘Everything’s gonna be OK?’ Just like it was when we had to bury a corpse under a rosebush? That kind of fine, or different?”

The original film chronicled Sally and Gillian’s quest for love while balancing their identities as witches and their familial curse. The sisters descended from a line of witches that doomed any man who fell in love with an Owens woman. In the film, the sisters nullify the hex by holding an exorcism on the spirit of Gillian’s abusive boyfriend, whom the sisters previously killed.

The sequel is based on the 2021 novel “The Book of Magic,” the fourth book in Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series. In 2019, HBO Max ordered a pilot for a prequel series, but the show was ultimately shelved.

Kidman and Bullock introduced the film last week during CinemaCon by referencing Kidman’s famous AMC ad. Bullock asked, “Why do we come here, Nicole?” “We come to this place for magic,” Kidman responded.

On Instagram, Kidman shared videos of her and Bullock sipping drinks out of mini cauldrons and walking the red carpet arm in arm. Bullock made her Instagram debut Tuesday (and has already amassed 5.2 million followers) with a nod to the original film’s midnight margaritas.