Practical Magic 2 Aims To Turn A '90s Box Office Flop Into A Hit Sequel

The box office isn't the be all, end all for a movie. Yes, a movie's initial reputation may well be shaped by how it performs in theaters but there are plenty of box office bombs that are truly worth a watch, ones that gained a reputation well beyond their theatrical release. 1998's "Practical Magic" is one of those movies. Now, Warner Bros. has rolled the dice on a sequel nearly 30 years later. The question is, can "Practical Magic 2" turn a '90s flop into a successful sequel?

As of this writing, director Susanne Bier's "Practical Magic 2" is tracking to earn between $40 and $54 million domestically when it opens next weekend, per Box Office Theory. It's opening against the action flick "Runner" ($3 to $6 million), "The Uprising" ($2 to $7 million), and "Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger" ($2.5 to $5 million), none of which will be major threats.

On paper, these early estimates are impressive. The original "Practical Magic," which stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock (both of whom are back for the sequel) made $68.3 million worldwide on a reported $75 million budget. Those numbers don't scream "sequel." Yet, these numbers suggest the audience is there. A "Practical Magic" prequel series was in the works at HBO Max at one point, but it's now clear that a theatrical movie was the way to go.

In the sequel, witches the Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all. Joey King ("The Kissing Booth"), Lee Pace ("Foundation"), Maisie Williams ("Game of Thrones"), Xolo Maridueña ("Blue Beetle"), and Solly McLeod ("Star City") also star. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also reprise their roles from the original.

It's hard to find a fair comparison for this movie. It's not that box office flops don't get sequels, it's just that they're either very low-budget affairs or they flop too. "Blade Runner 2049" became a cautionary tale, flopping badly at the box office with Warner Bros. believing that they could turn Ridley Scott's cult '80s sci-fi flick into a franchise. It made just $259 million worldwide on a budget of at least $150 million, likely much more.

In this case, we have a bigger-budget sequel with many of the original stars (save for Evan Rachel Wood, who was replaced by Joey King), which looks like it's going to connect with audiences. Globally, "Practical Magic 2" is poised to make more than the first movie did during its entire run in a single weekend. That's not completely unprecedented, but it's sure as hell highly unusual.

The first movie did solid business overseas and if that audience is there as well, this could be a bigger hit for WB than anyone may realize. Its best comp is probably "It Ends With Us" ($50 million opening/$351 million worldwide). But there is a horror/genre element at play that could increase the audience size, especially as we move into the Halloween season. In a best-case scenario? It could play like 2018's "A Star is Born" ($42.9 million opening/$436 million worldwide), with good legs and word of mouth.

On paper, this seems like a fool's errand. In practice, it's targeting the right type of nostalgia for the late '90s/early 2000s. That's what made Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch" a $1 billion box office hit. This sequel appears to be well-positioned to work its magic.

"Practical Magic 2" hits theaters on September 11, 2026.