Box Office: ‘Practical Magic 2’ Fizzles With $30 Million Debut

Whatever spell conjured by the witchy Owens sisters, played onscreen by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in two “Practical Magic” movies, wasn’t powerful enough to lure audiences to theaters. Despite a first-place finish, “Practical Magic 2” disappointed in its box office debut with $30 million from 4,146 North American theaters, arriving on the lower end of expectations. Overseas, the Warner Bros. fantasy sequel collected a dismal $16 million from 77 markets for a global weekend tally of $46 million.

What’s concerning is, when adjusting for inflation, initial domestic ticket sales for the follow-up are similar to 1998’s “Practical Magic,” a box office flop turned eventual cult favorite. The original movie, revolving around sisters who fight off a curse that kills the men they fall in love with, launched to $13 million, which is roughly $27 million in today’s dollars. Since the sequel carries a substantial $75 million price tag (not including the tens of millions on global marketing efforts), Warner Bros. is banking on nostalgia and the star power of Kidman and Bullock to help “Practical Magic 2” rebound in the coming weeks. (Theater owners get to keep about 50% of ticket sales.) Reviews will do little to inspire a box office rebound. (“Practical Magic 2” was saddled with a dismal 36% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Audiences, however, were much kinder, bestowing the movie a “B+” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Initial crowds were mostly older women, meaning “Practical Magic 2” appealed to core fans but struggled to entice a younger generation. Susanne Bier directed the sequel, which picks up 25 years later as the daughters of Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) uncover their hidden family secrets and seek to break the curse that has long haunted their lineage.

Joey King and Maisie Williams joined the cast while Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing reprised their roles from the first film. Despite a lackluster start, “Practical Magic 2” gets bragging rights for opening at No. 1 and ending the six-weekend reign of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” And the “Practical Magic” sequel launched ahead of several fellow newcomers, including “Runner,’ an action comedy from Angel Studios and “The Uprising,” a period drama starring Andrew Garfield. Overall, this weekend is down significantly (about 43%, according to Rentrak) from the same frame in 2025 when Sony and Crunchyroll’s “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” surprised with a massive $70.6 million debut.

So far, Sony’s comic book sequel has generated a staggering $935 million in North America and $2.4 billion globally. By Monday, it’ll be the highest-grossing movie in domestic box office history, supplanting the record long-held by 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with $936 million, not adjusted for inflation. In third place, “The Odyssey” raked in $8.1 million from 1,983 theaters and brought domestic ticket sales to $601 million after nine weekends on the big screen.

Christopher Nolan’s star-studded blockbuster has been on an epic box office run and now ranks as Universal’s highest grossing release with $1.68 billion worldwide. The previous benchmark holder was 2015’s “Jurassic World” with $1.67 billion globally. Acme” landed in fourth place with $6.3 million from 3,355 venues in its third weekend, a 47% decline from its prior outing.