Last June, Warner Bros. announced, via TikTok, that a sequel to “Practical Magic” was officially in the works. The 1998 film, directed by Griffin Dunne, starred Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest.
We now have a director. The sequel is clearly happening. Who’d a thunk it? Susanne Bier is in talks to helm “Practical Magic 2.” It makes sense. Bier worked with Bullock on “Bird Box,” and with Kidman on “The Undoing” and “The Perfect Couple.” Bullock is reprising her role as Sally Owens, while Kidman is coming back as Gillian Owens.
Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original, is returning to write the screenplay. No shooting date has been mentioned, but schedules permitted, expect this one to potentially start production this year.
The Danish-born Bier has had an eclectic career as a filmmaker. She directed a string of critical hits in the aughts, “Open Hearts,” “Brothers,” “After the Wedding,” and “In a Better World,” the later of which won the Oscar for Best International Film. Then she went Hollywood, directing panned titles such as “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “Love is All You Need,” “Brothers,” “Serena,” and “Bird Box.” She’s actually had more success on television with an acclaimed miniseries (“The Night Manager”) and a Netflix hit (“The Perfect Couple”).
“Practical Magic” told the story of two witch sisters (Kidman and Bullock), raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, who face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them from ever finding lasting love.
The sequel seems to be an excuse to get Kidman and Bullock back together. It won’t be hard to top the original either since it’s been nearly forgotten these last 25 years. It barely made a dent at the box-office, receiving decisively mixed reviews from critics, and grossing $68M worldwide against a $75M budget.