Evan Rachel Wood Reveals Only Joey King Reached Out After Being Recast in ‘Practical Magic 2′

Franchise reunions are supposed to feel like a celebration for everyone involved, especially when a cult classic gets the sequel treatment decades later. But not every original cast member has found the return to the Owens family quite as warm as fans might expect.

Evan Rachel Wood starred as Kylie Owens in the beloved 1998 film ‘Practical Magic,’ playing Sandra Bullock’s daughter alongside Alexandra Artrip’s Antonia. When ‘Practical Magic 2’ was announced, both roles were recast for the sequel, with Joey King stepping into Wood’s part and Maisie Williams taking over for Artrip.

Now, ahead of the sequel’s release, Wood has revealed just how isolating that recasting process felt behind the scenes. According to Wood, only one person connected to the project reached out to her after the decision was made, and it wasn’t anyone from the original 1998 film.

Wood shared her feelings in an Instagram Story, singling out King for the gesture while making it clear no one else had bothered to check in. “I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me because no one who worked on the original film did. She’s a sweetheart,” Wood wrote.

The comment reads as a subtle jab at her former co-stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, both of whom reprised their roles as Sally and Gillian Owens for the sequel. King, for her part, has been nothing but complimentary toward Wood in the lead-up to the film’s release, telling The Hollywood Reporter at the ‘Practical Magic 2’ premiere in Los Angeles that she had a “lovely” conversation with Wood about taking over the role.

King also expressed genuine appreciation for how Wood handled the situation publicly, noting how much the support meant to her and the rest of the cast. That warmth stands in contrast to the silence Wood described from the rest of the original production team.

This isn’t the first time Wood has spoken publicly about not being asked back for the sequel. At the premiere of ‘The Shards,’ Wood told Entertainment Tonight that she felt “sad” about missing out on the opportunity, pointing to the bond she formed with her original castmates as children.

“It is sad, because we bonded with that cast so much as children, and so to miss out on the opportunity to look at that cast and look at that house as an adult and see the history in our eyes, it’s something that can’t be faked,” Wood said, according to Entertainment Tonight. She added that she felt the loss extended beyond herself, saying it was something fans would miss out on as well.

Director Susanne Bier has addressed the recasting decision directly, framing it as a practical necessity rather than a personal slight. Bier explained that the sequel’s younger characters needed to be portrayed as being “right out of college,” which made recasting with younger actors a straightforward call rather than a reflection on the original performers.

‘Practical Magic 2′ picks up with Sally Owens’ daughters as young adults discovering their own magical heritage, with King playing Kylie and Williams playing Antonia. The sequel also welcomes back Stockard Channing and Dianne West as the sisters’ aunts, alongside newcomers Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod rounding out the cast.

Wood isn’t the only member of the original cast to have voiced feelings about being left out of the reunion. Alexandra Artrip has also spoken up in support of Wood, sharing nostalgic photos from the original film on Instagram back in August as the recasting news continued to generate conversation among longtime fans of the franchise.

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