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Cue your midnight margaritas, belladonna, and flipped pancakes, because a Practical Magic sequel is officially underway. From Hocus Pocus to Beetlejuice, millennials’ favorite Halloween movies have all gotten the sequel treatment. But Practical Magic, the 1998 fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as cursed sister-witches, is the one we’ve all been waiting for, the one that’s always on our minds. It’s so beloved, in fact, that even its stars manifested a sequel while the original was still in production. “You heard our spell,” Kidman said. We most certainly did.
As the full moon rises and the cauldron bubbles, here’s everything we know about the Practical Magic sequel.
It’s Based on Another Alice Hoffman Novel
Just like the original film, based on the 1995 novel of the same name, the sequel will derive from a Hoffman book. While Hoffman wrote two prequels following Practical Magic — 2017’s The Rules of Magic and 2020’s Magic Lessons — the new film will be adapted from the fourth installment, 2021’s The Book of Magic.
Kidman and Bullock Are Returning
The two actresses willreprisetheir roles as sisters Gillian and Sally Owens, bound together by blood and their cursed taste in men. They’re also slated to co-produce alongside Denise Di Novi, who worked on the original. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman will also return (he wrote the original alongside Robin Swicord and Adam Brooks), co-writing with Georgia Pritchett.
“I just love that we made something that was embraced this way — it’s so rare — and that we get to do it again, hopefully with an audience that embraces us a second time,” Kidman told us last year. “But c’mon, we are witches! We will work our magic.”
The Film Will Arrive on Sept. 18, 2026
A release date was announced in May 2025, alongside a teaser in which Kidman and Bullock recited a charming spell: “Tooth of wolf and morning dew/Something old and something new/Let the spell begin to mix/Sept. 18, 2026.” Did it close with the acoustic intro to Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut”? You bet.
Susanne Bier Will Direct
Susanne Bier, who previously worked on the Netflix film Bird Box (starring Bullock) and on the HBO series The Undoing and Netflix’s The Perfect Couple (both starring Kidman), is slated to direct the film. Griffin Dunne, who helmed the original Practical Magic, told Rolling Stone last year that he wasn’t going to direct it. “This should be directed by a woman,” he said. “I’m really curious to see what they do and what their take will be, and what they bring of themselves to directing the movie.”
Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing Are Also Returning
On July 11, it was announced that Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are returning for the sequel. They’ll star as the magical duo Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, who encourage chocolate for breakfast and dancing naked under a full moon. “The nudity is entirely optional,” Jet told Sally (Bullock) in the original film. “As you well remember!”
Joey King Will Also Star
In May 2025, Variety reported that Joey King will star as Bullock’s daughter in the sequel. In the original, Sally Owens has two daughters, Kylie and Antonia (played by Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip), so it’s unclear which character King will be playing.
In July 2025, additional cast members Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, and Lee Pace were announced. We’re still unsure if Aidan Quinn — who played Sally’s love interest and ultimately broke the curse — is returning. But it’s unlikely; as producer Di Novi recently told Rolling Stone, his character dies in the Practical Magic book.
“Twenty-five years ago, Sally, Gillian, Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny flew off the pages of Alice Hoffman’s beloved novel and into theaters around the world, and we are thrilled to bring the Owens family back to the big screen with Joey, Lee, Maisie, Solly and Xolo joining the next chapter in our story,” the team said in a statement. “The enduring affection for these characters has been our inspiration to deliver the next installment in the Owen’s story to new fans, and those who’ve been with us since the beginning.”
Evan Rachel Wood Won’t Be Returning
In July 2025, the actress — who played Sally’s daughter, Kylie in the original — revealed that she won’t be appearing in the sequel. “I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the #PracticalMagic sequel,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line. I was told they are re-casting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”
Kidman Reveals On Set Footage
On July 18, Kidman posted footage from the first day on set of the Practical Magic sequel, showing Gillian and Sally in long dresses, embracing in a cemetery.
Filming Wraps in Sept. 2025
On Sept. 13, Kidman posted that filming had completed — nearly one year before it arrives in theaters. “Thank you to the cast & crew for all your magic,” she wrote.
