Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman' Sequel to 28-Year-Old Fantasy Classic Officially Retcons the Original's Ending

Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman teamed up in the '90s for the fantasy cult classic Practical Magic, where they played two sister witches. Almost three decades later, they reprised their roles as the Owens sisters.

Practical Magic wasn't exactly a commercial hit, but a sequel was announced in June 2024. Ahead of Practical Magic 2's Sept. 11 release, Warner Bros. officially unveiled the first teaser trailer, which alters the original's ending.

The Owens Family Curse Isn't Broken

Practical Magic was based on Alice Hoffman's 1995 novel, which follows Bullock and Kidman's Sally and Gillian Owens, two sisters born into a family of witches. Raised by their two aunts after their parents died from a family curse, which kills every man the Owens sisters falls in love with, they learn to avoid witchcraft and their family gifts.

At the end of the 1998 film, after killing the evil spirit of Gillian's vicious boyfriend, the sisters seemed to end the family curse as Sally falls in love with Gary after her husband's death. However, the new teaser seems to change the ending, as the two sisters still believe the curse is real.

Although the clip doesn't address Gary, Sally and Gillian bring it up again as Sally has a new love interest, played by newcomer Lee Pace.

Set twenty-five years after the events of the first film, Practical Magic 2 is based on Hoffman's 2021 novel and follows the Owens family as they face a new crisis when a discovery regarding the family's history and the origins of their magic comes to light.

When Sally's daughter begins to uncover hidden family secrets and develops her own dark abilities, the family is plunged into a multi-generational struggle to finally break the curse that has haunted their lineage for centuries. The Owens women (Sally, Gillian, and their aunts) must once again unite, traveling from their home in Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family.

Aside from Kidman and Bullock, the sequel also brings back Stockard Channing and Dianne West as Frances and Bridget Owens, and introduces Joey King and Maisie Williams as Sally's daughters. Evan Rachel Wood is not a part of the sequel.

Practical Magic Became a Huge Cult Classic

The fantasy comedy didn't have the best reception, even though it's considered a classic now. On Rotten Tomatoes, Practical Magic features an abysmal 27% approval score from 101 reviews, but 73% from audiences.

At the same time, the film wasn't a commercial success. It had a significant $75 million budget, but it only grossed $68 million worldwide. However, its popularity grew in time thanks to its feminist themes, and Kidman and Bullock returned to the franchise once more.

Practical Magic 2 premieres in theaters on Sept. 11.