The original 'Practical Magic,' released in 1998, opened with high expectations but ultimately struggled to find its footing at the box office. Fast forward 28 years, and despite the return of its star-studded cast, 'Practical Magic 2' debuted with a performance that, while not a disaster, falls short of robust success given its reported $75 million production budget, not including marketing costs.
Warner Bros. had set its own expectations for an opening between $30 million and $35 million, a range the film just met. Industry projections were slightly more optimistic, anticipating a $40 million bow. This performance is comparable to Sandra Bullock’s 2022 film, 'The Lost City,' which also opened to $30 million during a period when the box office was still recovering from the pandemic.
<div><figure><a rel="" title="" href="https://www.indiewire.com/news/box-office/practical-magic-2-box-office-save-warner-bros-down-2026-1235215697/"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" srcset="https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=600%2C337 600w, https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=125%2C70 125w, https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=660%2C370 660w, https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=50%2C28 50w, https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=300%2C168 300w, https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1&resize=1200%2C675 1200w" width="300" height="168" alt="'Practical Magic 2'" src="https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MCDPRMA_WB002.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1"></p></a></figure></div>
The film's global performance was even more subdued, garnering a mere $16 million from 77 international markets. This puts increased pressure on its domestic run to compensate, particularly by attracting older U.S. audiences in the coming weeks. When adjusted for inflation, the original 'Practical Magic's' 1998 debut of $13.1 million translates to roughly $26.9 million today, making the sequel's opening somewhat in line with its predecessor's initial reception. The first film concluded its theatrical run with $94.4 million worldwide against a $60 million budget, a figure considered a financial disappointment at the time.
The decision to revisit 'Practical Magic' underscores a broader trend in Hollywood: the revival of older intellectual properties that may not possess significant contemporary resonance. While reuniting stars like Bullock and Kidman might appear to be a surefire hit on paper, the original film's lukewarm reception suggests that a sequel might have warranted more caution.
This strategy is not isolated. Searchlight Pictures recently announced a sequel to 'The Family Stone,' a 2005 holiday dramedy that, unlike 'Practical Magic,' performed well in theaters, grossing $92 million on an $18 million budget. However, the announced premise for its return, involving a new love interest for Craig T. Nelson's character after the death of Diane Keaton's, raises questions about its emotional resonance with audiences.
The entertainment industry's inclination to mine its back catalog for sequels, often to cult hits or once-popular franchises past their zeitgeist, is frequently attributed to a risk-averse environment. The thinking often goes that greenlighting a sequel is a safer bet than developing original content. Warner Bros. reportedly positioned 'Practical Magic 2' as a reliable earner that would allow studio heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy to pursue more daring projects, such as 'Sinners,' 'One Battle After Another,' and 'Weapons.'
Yet, this approach has yielded mixed results. While 'Blade Runner 2049' was lauded critically, it struggled commercially. Other follow-ups like 'Zoolander 2,' 'Independence Day: Resurgence,' and 'The Matrix Resurrections' largely failed to connect with audiences or critics. Conversely, some long-delayed sequels, like 'Top Gun: Maverick,' have achieved phenomenal success, grossing $1.5 billion and revitalizing the post-COVID box office. Paramount hopes to replicate this with Tom Cruise's return in 'Days of Thunder 2,' but it remains to be seen if that nostalgia will translate into similar box office magic.
For 'Practical Magic 2,' the challenge lies in converting the casual viewership gained from its predecessor's frequent television airings into paying cinema audiences. The opening weekend figures suggest that, for this coven, the magic didn't quite translate to ticket sales.