‘Practical Magic 2’ Opens to Soft $46 Million Global Box Office

Legacy sequels can be a gamble. Studios often rely on nostalgia and star power to entice audiences back into theaters, but this strategy doesn’t always yield the expected results, especially when the original film wasn’t a box office hit.

Warner Bros. is currently facing this challenge with ‘Practical Magic 2,’ the much-anticipated sequel that reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witch sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. Despite featuring two of Hollywood’s biggest stars and a loyal cult following built over nearly thirty years, the film’s theatrical debut has not lived up to the pre-release excitement.

The sequel debuted at number one domestically, earning $30 million from 4,146 North American theaters, finally ending ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s’ six-week reign at the top of the box office. However, internationally, the film only managed to pull in $16 million from 77 markets, resulting in a total global opening of $46 million against a reported production budget of $75 million.

This global total falls on the lower end of Warner Bros.’ projections for the release weekend, indicating that the film has significant work ahead to achieve profitability once marketing expenses are considered. Directed by Susanne Bier, the sequel has also received a lukewarm response from critics, landing in the mid-30s percentage range on Rotten Tomatoes, a score reminiscent of the original 1998 film’s harsh reviews before it became a beloved cult classic.

In contrast to the critical reception, audience feedback has been notably more positive. The film garnered a solid B+ CinemaScore, a strong 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 4.5 out of 5 on PostTrak, indicating that millennial and Gen X fans who helped turn the original into a sleeper hit are showing up and enjoying the sequel.

Interestingly, the numbers reveal a striking symmetry. The original ‘Practical Magic’ opened to $13.1 million in 1998, which adjusts to about $27 million today, ultimately grossing just $46 million domestically over its entire theatrical run. This means the sequel has matched the original’s full domestic total in just one opening weekend, although this fact does little to alleviate the disappointment of falling short of higher global expectations.

It’s the season of the witch. #PracticalMagic2 casts its spell in theaters this September. pic.twitter.com/Jvjk0se6Fh

— Practical Magic (@PracticalMagic) June 24, 2026

The future performance of ‘Practical Magic 2’ may hinge on how effectively Warner Bros. can engage the wider female audience that helped elevate the first film’s home video success beyond its initial theatrical run. With a competitive fall box office featuring titles like ‘Resident Evil’ and ‘Forgotten Island,’ the sequel will need strong word of mouth to maintain its momentum rather than fading quickly.

Currently, the sequel’s opening performance aligns with other recent legacy sequels centered around beloved 1990s female-led properties, such as ‘Freakier Friday,’ suggesting that this type of modest theatrical start may be the new standard for nostalgia-driven revivals rather than an outright failure. Given the original film’s cultural impact over time, it wouldn’t be surprising if ‘Practical Magic 2’ follows a similar long-term trajectory.

For now, all eyes are on next weekend’s numbers to see if the Owens sisters can maintain their position at the top of the box office or if audience interest will wane as quickly as it appeared.

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