If you’re a fan of 1998’s Practical Magic, I hope you’re also on TikTok! Otherwise, you may have missed a recent flurry of teasers that led to a pretty big announcement.
If you’re unfamiliar, Practical Magic, which stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witch sisters, is an adaptation of a 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman. It also features a very Stevie Nicks-heavy soundtrack. Despite its relative flop status in 1998, the film has gained a huge cult following, including becoming appointment Halloween viewing for many.
Well, on Sunday, Warner Brothers Pictures posted a teaser that “Something magical is brewing…” with a hint that fans should check the account at midnight, our spookiest time. Surely, this was a sequel announcement, yes? Eh, kinda? When midnight came, fans were greeted, oddly, with a series of clips from the original film.
@warnerbrosmovies Once you hear the deathwatch beetle, it’s too late. 😔 Own #PracticalMagic ♬ original sound – Warner Bros. Movies
The captions accompanying these videos seemed to suggest that the campaign was merely to promote the film’s availability on digital and streamability on Max. Very clever, Zaslav, you trickster.
However, the TikTok dropped that finally made this situation come into focus: Practical Magic 2 was officially happening:
@warnerbrosmovies It’s official… Practical Magic 2 is coming!
♬ original sound – Warner Bros. Movies
Obviously, fans were puzzled by the unrolling tactic.
“THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID AT MIDNIGHT,” commented TikTok user Lex.
“This is the announcement we needed at midnight not five clips of the movie lol,” wrote The Hippie Moon.
“All of us at midnight: ‘Be sure to drink your Ovaltine’ A CRUMMY COMMERCIAL?” zinged Samantha, who gets extra points for the “Christmas Story” reference.
@warnerbrosmovies Can’t talk, busy summoning Practical Magic 2. 🪄✨
♬ original sound – Warner Bros. Movies
Indeed, the announcement was so under-the-radar that the typical Hollywood trades didn’t even notice until hours later.
Finally, Variety picked up the story, confirming that Kidman and Bullock were in talks to return, along with original writer Akiva Goldsmith. The sequel announcement comes five years after a proposed Max prequel series fizzled.
UPDATE: Nicole Kidman confirmed to Extra that both she and Sandra Bullock have officially signed on to the sequel, saying, ‘We want to have fun.’ Indeed!
So rejoice Practical Magic fans, even if this announcement was anything but “practical.”
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