Beloved Cult Classic ‘Practical Magic’ (1998) Is Getting a Sequel

Magic isn’t just spells and potions.

Magic Symbol: Water Winter updated on
Sandra Bullock starred as Sally Owens in the original Practical Magic (1998) and is expected to return for the sequel 26 years later.

What’s more exciting than midnight margaritas? Warner Bros’ announcement that the romantic fantasy drama Practical Magic is getting a sequel with both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in talks to return.

Gilly (Nicole Kidman) and Sally (Sandra Bullock) briefly revive Gilly’s lover Jimmy Angelov using a spell from their aunt’s book of magic and a can of spray whipped-cream.

Where the story left off:

Practical Magic (1998) follows Owens sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gilly (Kidman), members of a cursed family of witches whose love interests are destined to die prematurely. Gilly leaves home as a teenager while Sally stays on the small island where the sisters grew up with their aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest). As adults, Sally runs to rescue Gilly when her boyfriend Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic) becomes abusive. After accidentally causing Jimmy’s death while trying to sedate him with belladonna, the two witches briefly bring him back to life before killing him (again) and burying him in the family’s garden.

The iconic house from Practical Magic unfortunately no longer exists as it was a set piece built for the film and then deconstructed afterwards. Lore says that after seeing the film, Barbra Streisand called up production because she was interested in buying the house.

Sally falls for investigator Gary (Aidan Quinn) who shows up in search of Jimmy while Gilly becomes possessed by Jimmy’s spirit. The sisters receive help from the women in their community (who have historically mocked the family of witches) and their united sisterhood banishes Jimmy’s spirit and breaks the Owens family curse forever. Sally and Gary are free to fall in love, and the community no longer treats the family as pariahs.

Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic) is Gilly’s (Nicole Kidman) abusive Bulgarian lover.

What we know about the Practical Magic sequel so far:

Warner Bros just made the announcement on June 10, 2024, so we don’t know much about the new film yet. Akiva Goldsman is writing the screenplay. It is expected that both Bullock and Kidman will act and produce. We don’t yet know who will direct, whether Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest will return, or what the film will be about.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are expected to return to reprise their roles and produce Practical Magic 2.

Practical Magic 2 *could* focus on a new actress as either Sally or Gilly’s daughter who is going through her own romantic problems while coming of age as a witch. This would be in line with both the original and what Alice Hoffman writes about in the source material. Though it’s just as likely that the new film could continue to focus on the (now) older Owens women Gilly and Sally as they balance their love lives, witchcraft and other struggles.

Previously Warner Bros. and ABC Family had announced a prequel series based on writer Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic. Hoffman also wrote Practical Magic, on which the original film is loosely based. The prequel series was eventually cancelled before it made it to air. Before that, another television series with Kim Delaney as Sally Owens and Jeri Ryan as Gilly made it to a pilot, but was not picked up.

There’s no word on when Practical Magic 2 will start filming or when it will be released. Follow our upcoming horror movies tracker for updates.

Further reading:

Meet The Author

Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.

Chrissy Stockton