Love has always been a bit complicated for the Owens women. Now, a new generation of witches are learning there may be more truth to the family lore than they ever truly believed.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as Sally and Gillian Owens for Practical Magic 2, the sequel to the 1998 cult classic Practical Magic. They’re joined by both familiar faces and a new cast of characters.
Practical Magic 2 premieres in theaters on September 10, 2026. Here’s who’s returning, who’s new and who’s getting pulled into the Owens family’s latest magical mess.
Can’t wait for the sequel? Watch Practical Magic and other favorites from Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman with DIRECTV today.
Where Does ‘Practical Magic 2’ Pick up?
In the 1998 original film, the Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, are introduced as witches who possess magical abilities that have been passed down through their bloodline for generations. They also carry a devastating curse: any man an Owens woman truly loved was destined to die tragically young.
After a string of doomed romances, spells gone awry, a deadly resurrection and a race to save Gillian from a possessed ex-lover, the sisters finally confront the curse. By the end of the film, it appeared that the sisters had broken the spell and could move forward without the fate that had haunted their family for generations.
Nearly 30 years later, Practical Magic 2 reveals that the curse may have never truly been gone. After years of trying to protect the next generation of girls from the family’s doomed fate, the Owens women are forced to confront the magic and secrets they thought they had dealt with long ago.
Who is Not Returning for ‘Practical Magic 2’?
A few of the original cast members of Practical Magic are not returning for the film’s sequel. Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip, who played Sally’s daughters in the original, were not asked to return for the reboot sequel. Wood’s character, Kylie, will be played by Joey King, while Maisie Williams will take on the role of Antonia.
The recast decision was influenced by the characters’ ages; since both daughters have just graduated college in the new film, the casting team opted for actors who are more in line with the age group.
Aidan Quinn, who portrayed investigator Gary Hallet and was Sally Owen’s romantic interest, will also not be returning for the sequel. This decision is primarily due to the new film’s plot and developments within the Owens family that made his character’s role unnecessary.
Returning Cast of ‘Practical Magic 2’
Practical Magic 2 brings back several key stars from the original film:
Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens
Known from: Miss Congeniality, Ocean’s Eight, Bird Box, The Proposal, Gravity
Sally Owens is the more cautious and reserved of the two Owens sisters, and she has always been the most fearful of the family curse. After her father died and her mother followed, Sally became determined to avoid the same fate, even casting a spell as a girl so she would only fall in love with a man who met a list of impossible qualities. For Sally, the plan was simple, if no man could ever fit the description, she would never fall in love and never have to face the curse herself.
That plan eventually fell apart when Sally met Michael, married him and had two daughters. After his death, Sally was devastated and became convinced that the family curse was responsible. She retreated from magic and decided her daughters would have nothing to do with it. Even so, her bond with Gillian remained unshakable. When Gillian became trapped in an abusive relationship, Sally risked everything to save her sister and ultimately embraced the magic she had spent years resisting for her sister’s sake.
In Practical Magic 2, Sally has become even more determined to protect her daughters from the Owens legacy. After losing Gary, her improbably perfect man from the original film, she magically erases her daughters’ knowledge of witchcraft and keeps them in the dark about the family curse. When Kylie falls in love with Gideon and the curse seemingly strikes again, Sally is forced to face the consequences of the secrecy she thought would keep her daughters safe.
Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens
Known from: Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Lioness, Babygirl, Big Little Lies
Gillian “Gilly” Owens is Sally’s younger sister and the more adventurous, free-spirited half of the pair. While Sally grew up determined to protect herself from the Owens family curse, Gillian embraced life on her own terms, leaving home as a teenager in search of romance and adventure. Her impulsive nature eventually led her into a dangerous relationship with Jimmy Angelov, whose death set off the supernatural chaos at the center of the original film.
Despite their differences, Gillian and Sally and always shared an unbreakable bond. When Gillian’s life was in danger, Sally put everything on the line to save her.
In Practical Magic 2, Gillian returns the favor and joins Sally as they travel to England after Kylie begins uncovering secrets about the family history. The sisters once again have to rely on each other as they try to protect the next generation of Owens women and finally put an end to the family’s generational curse once and for all.
Stockard Channing as Aunt Frances Owens
Known from: Grease, The West Wing, Six Degrees of Separation, The Good Wife
Aunt Frances Owens is Sally and Gillian’s outspoken and eccentric aunt who helps raise the sisters after their parents’ deaths. She is the more brazen of their two aunts and has little interest in conforming to the expectations of the small town around her. Alongside Jet, Frances always embraced the Owens family’s magical traditions and helped the girls grow up understanding that their unusual abilities were simply a normal part of who they were.
In Practical Magic 2, Frances returns as the Owens family once again confronts the curse. The aunts have helped keep Sally’s daughters unaware of their magical heritage, but when the family’s curse resurfaces, their deep knowledge of Owens magic becomes important as the family searches for a way to stop it.
Dianne Wiest as Aunt Jet Owens
Known from: The Birdcage, Edward Scissorhands, Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway
Aunt Jet Owens is Frances’ sister and Sally and Gillian’s other guardian. She is known for being overall more gentle, understanding and soft-spoken than Frances. Jet is deeply connected to the Owens family’s magic and helped raise Sally and Gillian, teaching them about spells, herbs and the family’s magical traditions. Alongside Frances, she became a source of guidance as Sally and Gillian grew up and eventually found themselves caught in the deadly consequences of the Owens family curse.
In Practical Magic 2, Jet is still part of the family’s magical inner circle. She has contributed to keeping Sally’s daughters in the dark about their witchcraft, hoping to protect them from the same fate that has followed the Owens women for generations. When the curse threatens the next generation of witches, Jet once again becomes part of the effort to set things right.
New Cast of ‘Practical Magic 2’
The sequel also expands the Owens family with a younger generation and introduces several new characters connected to their story:
Joey King as Kylie Owens (recast)
Known from: The Act, The Kissing Booth, A Family Affair, Bullet Train
Joey King plays Kylie Owens, Sally’s older daughter, who has inherited more of the Owens family’s free-spirited streak than her mother. Kylie is curious, rebellious and unwilling to simply accept the rules that have governed her family for generations.
When she falls in love, she has to confront the Owens women’s infamous curse firsthand. Having always believed the stories about her family’s magic and curse were no more than dramatized family lore, Kylie is stunned to learn that they are actually true. As she learns more about the secret her mother has been hiding from her, she sets out to do what the Owens women before her couldn’t: break the curse.
Maisie Williams as Antonia Owens (recast)
Known from: Game of Thrones, The Falling, The New Mutants, The Luckiest Man in America
Antonia Owens is Sally’s younger daughter and Kylie’s sister. She is much more practical and organized than her older sister and she is training to become a neurosurgeon. Having built her life around science, she’s left little room for the spirituality and magic that run in her veins. Her scientific mind and magical ancestry clash as she is forced to confront the power she wields.
Lee Pace as Ian Wright
Known from: Bodies Bodies Bodies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Halt and Catch Fire, Foundation
Ian Wright is a heavily tattooed and a bit eclectic English professor who specializes in the study of magic and the supernatural. His unconventional approach to his academic work brings him into Sally Owens’ world as the Owens family searches for answers about its generational curse.
Xolo Maridueña as Gideon
Known from: Cobra Kai, Blue Beetle, Killing Castro, Code 3
Xolo Maridueña plays Gideon, Kylie Owens’ boyfriend. When Kylie falls in love with him, the Owens family curse is triggered, and Gideon’s life becomes endangered. The incident forces Kylie to confront the true and horrifying nature of her family’s curse and sets her on a quest to find a way to break it.
Solly McLeod as Tom Lockland
Known from: The Rising, House of the Dragon, Star City, Jericho Ridge
Tom Lockland is a new character connected to Kylie Owens and the Owens family’s magical story. He is a former apprentice of Ian Wright.
Watch ‘Practical Magic’ With DIRECTV
As the weather gets colder, it’s the perfect time to settle in with a cozy movie night filled with magic, mystery and a little mischief.
Get ready for Practical Magic 2 by revisiting the original Practical Magic and catching more witchy favorites on DIRECTV.
Frequently asked questions
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