Practical Magic 2 is now in cinemas, bringing Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens nearly three decades after the original film.
Released in 1998, Practical Magic gradually developed a dedicated audience around its story of the Owens sisters, their supernatural lives and complicated relationships.
The sequel arrives 28 years later, continuing a franchise whose popularity grew significantly after its original theatrical run.
Bullock and Kidman remain central to the new film, while the cast also includes Maisie Williams, Joey King, Lee Pace and Xolo Maridueña. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are among the returning cast members.
The sequel draws from Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel The Book of Magic, which continues the story established in her 1995 novel Practical Magic. That earlier book inspired the 1998 movie.
How Fan Demand Helped Bring Back the Franchise
Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Kidman described the sequel’s development as unusual for Hollywood.
She said the original film continued finding viewers through social media and a community of fans who helped keep the story visible years after its release.
That renewed interest helped create the conditions for a second film, demonstrating how older movies can find a new audience long after their initial theatrical window.
Where Practical Magic 2 Was Filmed
Much of the sequel was produced at Leavesden Studios near Watford, Hertfordshire.
The production rebuilt the Owens family home, with production designer Tom Burton creating a full 360 degree exterior and interior set so scenes could be filmed from multiple directions.
Construction of the house set began in June 2025 and took 12 weeks, followed by three weeks of set dressing. The design retained important elements of the original home while updating its décor to reflect the passage of time.
Other UK locations included St Mary and All Saints Church near Romford, Langleybury Mansion, Black Park Country Park and the Royal Standard of England near High Wycombe.
Buckinghamshire also provided locations for the film. The Wormsley Estate was used for Tom’s cottage, while Hambleden became the fictional village of Thornfield.
London and Railway Locations
Production moved into London for several scenes, using the Cromwell Buildings, Bishopsgate Institute and Royal Chelsea Hospital. A private estate in South London represented the New England town where the Owens family lives.
Old Wardour Castle near Salisbury was selected for the ruins of an old manor. Train scenes were filmed at Leavesden using a carriage borrowed from the Epping Ongar Railway, while North Weald station also featured in the production.
The original film’s enduring appeal has also inspired renewed interest in the chemistry between Bullock and Kidman.
An astrology based analysis of their birth charts highlights connections involving the Sun, Venus, Mars and Jupiter, interpreting those placements as symbolic of their lively on-screen rapport and complementary personalities.
That interpretation is separate from the film’s production history, but it reflects the broader fascination surrounding the longtime partnership between the two stars.
Practical Magic 2 is currently in cinemas, with Bullock and Kidman leading the returning Owens sisters as the franchise continues its story nearly three decades after the first film.
