When Practical Magic was released in 1998, it failed to create an immediate impact. It was both a critical and box office flop, even though the cast and crew felt very confident before release. However, the film earned a loyal fanbase on VHS, DVD, and cable television. Fans fell in love with the cozy Victorian house, midnight margaritas, and witchy style years following the release. And decades later, the franchise came up with a sequel. 

Recently, Sandra Bullock spoke about this trajectory in an interview with Jennifer Aniston. 

Sandra Bullock recently appeared alongside longtime friend Jennifer Aniston in a feature for Interview Magazine. As Bullock looked back on the Practical Magic franchise, she recalled the scathing reviews that greeted her first film. Just when she came to regret being part of the franchise at all, the movie eventually won over audiences and became a fan favorite. 

“I had a decent amount of shame because I thought I’d done something wrong. You just go, ‘Okay, okay, okay. I won’t do that again.’ And then it just took off.”  

“It turned into a cult classic,” Aniston added in the Interview Magazine chat. 

Bullock credited social media for the resurgence of Practical Magic as everybody got to share their experience with the movie and spread the word. It was after seeing this resurgence that Bullock thought of coming up with a sequel. Bullock reached out to Denise Di Novi, her producing partner, and learnt about Alice Hoffman’s second book.        

“So I said if we can say these things for the people who deserve to hear them, we should make it”. 

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Despite the cult classic status of the first film, the sequel earned around just 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Sandra Bullock’s Practical Magic 2 reunites her with Nicole Kidman as the iconic Owens sisters. This time, the Owens sisters are on a quest to break a generational curse. However, according to critics, while the sequel maintains a strong emotional core, it still struggles to fully capture the charm of the 1998 original, primarily due to a wonky and unfocused script. 

Apart from the original cast, the sequel brings back Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who reprise their roles as the eccentric and glamorous Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances. Joey King and Maisie Williams also join the ensemble as Sally’s now-grown daughters, Kylie and Antonia. Nonetheless, the sequel, much like the first installment, could eventually achieve cult classic status.

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What do you think about Sandra Bullock's interview? Let us know in the comments!