Warner Bros./Alcon’s Practical Magic 2 is poised for a magical debut, eyeing a $30 million U.S. opening weekend from 4,146 theaters. This follows a strong estimated $12.5 million on Friday. The sequel, featuring the return of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, had an excellent head start, pulling in $4.7 million from Thursday previews across 3,200 locations – surpassing earlier estimates of $3.5 million to $4 million. This preview performance outshines Bullock's 2022 romantic adventure The Lost City ($2.5 million previews) and 2022's Ticket to Paradise ($1.1 million previews).

The projected opening weekend for Practical Magic 2 is on par with The Lost City's $30.4 million debut, which ultimately grossed $105.3 million domestically. It's slightly under Bullock's 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal, which opened to $33.6 million and finished with $163.9 million in North America. Industry watchers are hopeful the film avoids being too front-loaded, a common trend for female-driven features.

The film's appeal to its target audience is evident in its 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, contrasting sharply with a more critical 36% fresh rating from critics. This divergence isn't new for the franchise; the original 1998 Practical Magic also faced a similar critical reception at 29% Rotten, despite opening at No. 1 with $13.1 million and achieving $46.7 million domestically and $94.4 million worldwide.

With a net production budget of $70 million, Practical Magic 2 is benefiting from premium large format (PLF) screenings, including Dolby Cinema. Internationally, the film is expected to add another $18 million to $23 million from 77 territories, excluding China, further bolstering its global performance.