A couple months ago, it was reported that the sequel to Practical Magic was adding Joey King to the cast. Now, Deadline has more casting updates for the witchy installment. Firstly, in addition to Bullock and Kidman’s return, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are now slated to reprise their roles in Practical Magic 2. Per Deadline, the actresses played “Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, the eccentric and wise matriarchs who took in witch sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) following the death of their parents and taught them everything they know about magic, mischief, and self-reliance.”
More known names have also been added to the cast, including Lee Pace (Foundation), Maisie Williams (The New Look), Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle), and Solly McLeod (The Dead Don’t Hurt). Their roles have yet to be announced. Producer Denise Di Novi has promised that the sequel, which is aiming for a September 18, 2026 theatrical release, will honor the original.
Based on a novel by Alice Hoffman and directed by Griffin Dunne from a screenplay by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, and Adam Brooks, Practical Magic revolves around two witch sisters, Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), who live in a small town alongside their eccentric Aunt Frances (Stockard Channing). As the sisters attempt to practice their craft, they face closed-minded prejudice and a curse that threatens to prevent them from ever finding lasting love. The curse dictates that whoever falls in love with one of the sisters dies an untimely death. Sally and Gillian live separate lives with different approaches to their magical gifts. Sally chooses to live quietly, while Gillian is a wild child who flaunts her abilities. When the sisters accidentally kill Gillian’s violent partner, Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), a string of supernatural events unfold, sending the duo into a race to undo a family curse.
Akiva Goldsman is writing the script for Practical Magic 2. Plot details haven’t been revealed yet, but Hoffman has given the filmmakers plenty of source material to work with: the Practical Magic novel has two prequels (The Rules of Magic and Magic Lessons) and a sequel (The Book of Magic). Susanne Bier, who directed Bullock in Netflix’s Bird Box and worked with Kidman on HBO’s The Undoing and Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, is on board to direct the film, which is expected to go into production in London later this summer.