28 years later, Practical Magic 2 is out — and Nicole Kidman says why

Well, here we are, nearly three decades (!) since the original, and Practical Magic 2 is actually on its way – landing in cinemas in 2026. Yes, that's 28 years after Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock first played the Owens sisters, so if you feel ancient, you're not alone. And if you're wondering why it took so long, you're about to get an answer, courtesy of Kidman herself.

Appearing on The Tonight Show, Nicole Kidman admitted, 'It was just one of those things that never happens in the film industry, where films usually kind of come out, and if they’re not huge successes, they die. But this one found its audience through, I think, social media and people, you know, the witches out there.'

That spells it out, doesn't it? The original Practical Magic was no box office darling back in 1998. Under normal Hollywood logic the film should've faded away, but it had a second life – thanks mostly to obsessive fans doing what they do best on social media. Suddenly, you’ve got younger viewers picking up on memes and old clips, and before you know it, a cult favourite ends up at the top of a studio exec’s to-do list.

Practical Magic 2 will hit cinemas in 2026, 28 years after the release of the first film.

So, what do we actually know about this overdue sequel? For one, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are both back, dusting off their witch hats as the steadfast Owens sisters. But that’s not all — the supporting cast has had a shake-up as well. Returning for round two are Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, and alongside them you’ve got Maisie Williams (yes, Arya Stark herself), Joey King, Lee Pace, and Xolo Maridueña joining the supernatural chaos.

This time round, the plot doesn’t just come out of thin air. The sequel is based on Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel, The Book of Magic, which acts as a continuation of the original story. Worth noting: All this source material begins with Hoffman’s 1995 book, which inspired the original film in the late ’90s.

• Original film: Released 1998, based on Hoffman's 1995 novel
• Sequel inspiration: The Book of Magic, published 2021
• New cast members: Maisie Williams, Joey King, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña
• Returning: Kidman, Bullock, Wiest, Channing
• Release date for sequel: 2026

The bottom line here: cult followings and social media have a knack for reviving what Hollywood once buried. After all these years, Practical Magic is finally making its comeback, with most of the old faces you’d hope for — and a few new ones thrown in to stir the cauldron.