Practical Magic 2 and the Return of the Witchy Woman

A new moon and sun eclipse got us feeling a little witchy. On top of it all, Nicole Kidman blessed us with behind-the-scenes shots from Practical Magic 2. The movie release moved up a week from its original September 18 date, landing in the post-Labor Day slot, and now comes out on September 11, 2026. Two generations of the Owens sisters are about to share the screen. But before we get to talk about the excitement of the sequel, we need to pay respects to the original.

Critics Hated It. Women Never Forgot It.

Practical Magic came out in 1998 and was critically dismissed and discarded. The film had a very underwhelming commercial release, making $46M on a $75M budget. Many judged the film’s pacing, the mixing of genres, and countless plot holes. However, the female audience couldn’t disagree more with those statements, since Practical Magic became a staple fall movie in a lot of households. For nearly three decades, women kept the movie and its magic alive through midnight margaritas, yearly rewatches, and absolute love of Stevie Nicks. The film became a cult classic, no thanks to Hollywood on this one but because women decided that this piece of media was theirs. Who doesn’t love a little matriarchal coven with a splash of magic?

What's Coming: Everything We Know About Practical Magic 2

Practical Magic 2 is coming to theaters worldwide on September 11, 2026. Both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are set to return to the sequel, but they also play a part in producing the film. We can’t forget about Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as the original Owens aunts.

Some new faces will make their debut on the New England coast: Joey King, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, and Lee Pace. Based on Alice Hoffman's The Book of Magic, the sequel follows the Owens family as a new generation of sisters discovers their powers while the original sisters face a new threat. 

The sequel is directed by Susanne Bier, with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original, female gaze dream team in action. We will also witness a little witchy sisters vs horror reboot, as the Resident Evil reboot is set to premiere on the same day. 

We know that this movie was made for the fall season — and we have been waiting for a long time. One thing we can’t stop hoping is that Stevie Nicks will bless the movie with either a new song or a return of the Crystal track.

Why Susanne Bier Directing This Matters

A woman directing a film about female lineage, sisterhood, and magic is the exact thing that we were dreaming about. Susanne Bier brings a specific emotional intelligence to everything she does — she is the director behind In a Better World and The Night Manager, someone who understands how to hold grief, love, and female complexity in the same frame without flinching. A film about sisterhood, lineage, and women who refuse to be diminished needed exactly this kind of director. Choosing her was deliberate, and we are glad someone finally got it right.

The Witchy Woman Renaissance

Witches have always been the embodiment of smart women, women who channel their rage through magic as a metaphor. Dare we say – feminist icons. Such a comfort to be returning to a story about women who refuse to be diminished. Crystals, spells, and full moons — call it witchy if you want. We call it knowing yourself. We don’t think that the resurgence of The Craft, Wicked’s record-breaking run, and the general appetite for women who are a little bit dangerous and hold some kind of power is a coincidence. This shift is bringing the women's side of the story out from behind the curtain. Thank you to Practical Magic for making that a little bit more fun and normalised; there is a little bit of witchy in all of us.

Joey King, Maisie Williams and the Next Generation of Owens Women

The casting of Joey King and Maisie Williams is deliberate — a ritual of passing the torch to a new generation. Two of the most beloved young actresses of their generation, both with devoted fanbases that live on BookTok and social media, are joining a franchise that their mothers watched on repeat. Practical Magic always passed itself down through generations of women.

September 11 cannot come fast enough. The witchy woman has always been here — misunderstood, underestimated, and more powerful for it. Practical Magic 2 is proof that the stories women love have a longer life than anyone gives them credit for. See you at the midnight screening.