Practical Magic 2

More than two decades after the Owens sisters first enchanted audiences, Practical Magic 2 returns to the fog-shrouded coastal town of New England. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprise their roles as Sally and Gillian Owens, now facing a new generation of family secrets. The sequel, directed by Susanne Bier, picks up with Sally's daughter Kylie (Joey King) and Gillian's daughter Antonia (Maisie Williams) coming of age under the shadow of the Owens curse—any man who loves an Owens woman will die.

Production began in early 2025, with filming locations spanning Rockport, Massachusetts, and coastal Maine. The screenplay, crafted by Akiva Goldsman, Robin Swicord, Adam Brooks, and Georgia Pritchett, draws from Alice Hoffman's 2017 novel The Rules of Magic, expanding the mythology established in the 1998 original. Practical effects and animatronics were prioritized over CGI to preserve the tactile, cozy aesthetic that made the first film a cult classic.

The film arrives at a moment of renewed cultural fascination with witchcraft, riding the wave of witchcore and cottagecore trends. With a budget estimated between $80 and $100 million, the project marks a rare long-gestating sequel that reunites its original stars as producers through their respective companies, Fortis Films and Blossom Films.[edit]

Twenty-six years after the events of the original film, the Owens family still inhabits the sprawling Victorian house in a small New England town. Sally Owens has built a quiet life as a herbalist, raising her daughter Kylie with a cautious approach to magic, hoping to shield her from the family curse. Gillian, now more settled, lives nearby with her daughter Antonia, who has inherited her mother's wild streak and a burning curiosity about witchcraft. The sisters have maintained a fragile peace, but the curse remains a constant undercurrent in their lives.

The arrival of a mysterious stranger (Lee Pace) disrupts their routine. He appears to know intimate details about the Owens family history, including the original curse placed on their ancestor Maria Owens. Meanwhile, Kylie begins dating a local fisherman (Xolo Maridueña), triggering a series of ominous signs—wilting flowers, shattered mirrors, and a persistent chill in the air. Antonia, experimenting with spells from a hidden grimoire, accidentally awakens a dark entity that feeds on fear and doubt.

The aunts, Jet and Frances, return with their signature blend of eccentric wisdom, dispensing cryptic warnings and concocting potions in their overgrown garden. A skeptical journalist (Solly McLeod) arrives in town, investigating reports of strange lights and unexplained phenomena, threatening to expose the Owens family to public scrutiny. Flashbacks reveal the origins of the curse, showing Maria Owens's heartbreak and the desperate spell she cast to protect her daughter.

Sally and Gillian must confront their own unresolved guilt—Sally's overprotectiveness and Gillian's recklessness—while teaching their daughters to harness their powers responsibly. The central conflict escalates as the dark entity grows stronger, manipulating the townspeople's fears and turning them against the Owens family. The sisters realize that breaking the curse requires not just a magical ritual but a fundamental shift in how they view love and loss. The story builds toward a gathering of the full Owens coven, where past and present collide, and the true nature of the curse is finally revealed.[edit]