‘Practical Magic 2’ Receives Higher CinemaScore Than Original Film

The reunion of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman for a supernatural sisterhood story was always expected to evoke nostalgia, but nostalgia alone doesn’t guarantee a warm reception from opening night audiences. Warner Bros. has been closely monitoring the tracking numbers for ‘Practical Magic 2’ in recent weeks, even as critics have largely expressed disappointment with the legacy sequel.

This contrast between critical reception and audience enthusiasm has emerged as a compelling narrative during the film’s rollout. While reviewers have assigned a low score reminiscent of the original 1998 film’s critical backlash, ticket buyers seem to be enjoying the experience much more.

This divide has now been confirmed in a clear manner. ‘Practical Magic 2’ earned a B+ grade from opening-night audiences on CinemaScore, a notably better result than the B- received by the original film back in October 1998.

This improvement is significant, as CinemaScore grades often serve as an early indicator of how a film’s word of mouth will perform in the weeks following its release. The jump from B- to B+ suggests that audiences are leaving theaters much more satisfied this time around, despite critics remaining skeptical.

Currently, the sequel holds a score of 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is nearly identical to the 30 percent that the original film received from critics decades ago. This consistency isn’t entirely surprising, as ‘Practical Magic’ has always resonated more with viewers than critics, eventually becoming a beloved cult classic despite its initial poor reception.

Early indications suggest that audiences may be even more enthusiastic about the sequel than they were about the original. The verified audience score for ‘Practical Magic 2’ has reportedly soared to 92 percent, creating a significant gap from the critics’ score and an improvement over the original film’s eventual 73 percent audience rating.

This level of audience enthusiasm seems to be translating directly into ticket sales. The film is projected to achieve a domestic opening weekend of approximately $30 million, aligning with Bullock’s previous box office performances like ‘The Lost City,’ which opened to $30.4 million and ultimately grossed $105.3 million domestically.

This positive reception comes at a crucial time for Warner Bros., which has been navigating one of its most challenging box office periods in 25 years. Recent releases like ‘The End of Oak Street’ struggled to resonate with broad audiences despite favorable reviews, earning just $51.7 million domestically and $115 million worldwide against an $80 million budget.

‘Practical Magic 2’ represents a different strategy for the studio, relying heavily on star power and nostalgia rather than critical acclaim to drive ticket sales. With Alcon financing half of the production alongside Warner Bros., a strong CinemaScore and positive audience reception could provide the momentum needed to sustain the film over several successful weekends rather than just a single strong opening.

Considering how the original ‘Practical Magic’ thrived on positive word of mouth after a similarly rocky critical reception, this sequel seems to be following a familiar and promising strategy. If this trend continues, Warner Bros. may have discovered the sleeper hit it urgently needed this fall.

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