Practical Magic 2 Debuts No. 1
The sequel opened atop the box office with a $30 million debut.
9
Articles
8
Sources
Coverage mix
What happened
Practical Magic 2 opened at No. 1 at the North American box office nearly three decades after the original became a cult favorite. The Warner Bros. sequel earned an estimated $30 million from 4,146 theaters, according to Rentrak estimates, and ended Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s six-week run on top. It added about $16 million overseas, for about $46 million worldwide. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman and directed by Susanne Bier, the film follows the Owens witches and their cursed love lives.
Both sides
From the left
Entertainment writers treated the sequel as a nostalgia test for fans of the original. The Los Angeles Times called it a familiar fan sequel that keeps the first film’s appeal, expands Owens family lore, and preserves Bullock and Kidman’s chemistry. Slate described it as a late-1990s cult-favorite return focused on breaking the curse. Rolling Stone highlighted a critic-fan divide, noting poor reviews and complaints about brighter visuals.
From the right
The Washington Times emphasized the box-office win and long-gap follow-up. It reported the sequel opened atop North American charts, with an estimated $30 million from 4,146 theaters, and pushed Spider-Man: Brand New Day out of first. It also noted the opening sat at the low end of Warner Bros.’ range, while the $75 million film reunited Bullock and Kidman and added younger Owens relatives played by Joey King and Maisie Williams.
Coverage•9 articles — 4 left, 4 center, 1 right
Get tomorrow's edition
Every side, every morning — free in your inbox.