Will There Be a ‘Practical Magic 3’? Here’s Everything We Know So Far

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman have officially conjured up ‘Practical Magic 2,’ and now that the sequel has landed in theaters, fans are already casting their eyes toward a possible third chapter for the Owens sisters. The 1998 original became a cult favorite over the years despite a rocky theatrical run, and the long gap before a follow-up has only made the appetite for more stronger.

With ‘Practical Magic 2’ now out in the world and pulling in solid numbers at the box office, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Warner Bros. is already planning to keep the magic going. Here is what we actually know about the future of the franchise right now.

‘Practical Magic 2’ Box Office Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

‘Practical Magic 2’ opened in over 4,000 North American theaters and pulled in an estimated 4.7 million dollars on its Thursday preview night alone. Warner Bros. projected a domestic opening in the range of 30 to 35 million dollars, with some outlets even suggesting the film could push closer to a 40 million dollar debut with a worldwide total near 75 million dollars.

That kind of opening puts the sequel well ahead of the original film, which debuted with just 13 million dollars back in October of 1998 before finishing its run at roughly 46 million dollars domestically. The new film carries a reported net production cost of around 70 million dollars, meaning a strong opening weekend matters quite a bit for the studio’s math.

What makes the numbers even more interesting is the split between critics and audiences. The sequel currently sits at around 36 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but early audience scores have been reported as high as 92 percent, a gap that suggests this could be another case where ‘Practical Magic’ style word of mouth carries a film long after opening weekend.

What We Know About a Potential ‘Practical Magic 3’ Movie

The most direct hint at a future installment actually comes from the reviews themselves. Deadline’s own critique of the sequel was headlined around the idea that ‘Practical Magic 2’ “lays groundwork for trilogy,” which is about as clear a signal as fans are going to get this early. No formal greenlight or announcement for a third film has been made by Warner Bros. as of this writing.

That said, the source material gives plenty of runway. The first sequel drew from Alice Hoffman’s expanded Owens family book series, and Hoffman has written multiple novels beyond the original ‘Practical Magic,’ including ‘The Rules of Magic’ and ‘The Book of Magic.’ If Warner Bros. wanted to keep adapting Hoffman’s world, there is no shortage of material left to pull from.

The film’s plot for this installment already sets up new threads worth continuing, following Sally and Gillian Owens as they face a fresh threat tied to their family’s magical legacy, this time pulling Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia directly into the family curse. That kind of generational handoff is exactly the sort of setup that studios love to leave dangling for a third movie.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Both Returned for the Sequel

Bullock and Kidman both returned to play Sally and Gillian Owens, and their chemistry has been repeatedly singled out as the best part of the new film even by critics who were otherwise unimpressed. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also reprised their roles as the beloved aunts, giving longtime fans of the original a sense of continuity.

The sequel also expanded its cast significantly, bringing in Joey King and Maisie Williams as the next generation of Owens women, alongside Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod rounding out the supporting roles. Susanne Bier directed the film from a script credited to Akiva Goldsman and Georgia Pritchett, with Alice Hoffman serving as an executive producer on the project.

Having that many new characters already established gives Warner Bros. an easy foundation to build from if a ‘Practical Magic 3’ does get greenlit, since the story would not need to start from scratch introducing an entirely new set of Owens family members.

‘Practical Magic ‘Trilogy Odds Based on Box Office Trends

History is actually on the franchise’s side here. The original ‘Practical Magic’ also struggled critically, landing around a 29 to 30 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, yet it built a passionate following on home video and cable reruns that kept it culturally relevant for nearly three decades. That same pattern, poor reviews paired with strong lasting fan devotion, appears to be playing out again with the sequel.

Comparisons have already been drawn between this opening and other Bullock vehicles like ‘The Lost City,’ which opened to 30.4 million dollars before finishing at over 105 million dollars domestically. If ‘Practical Magic 2’ follows a similar trajectory of front loaded interest turning into steady legs, it becomes a much easier case for Warner Bros. to greenlight a third film.

Studios also tend to move quickly on trilogy plans when a female led franchise reawakens dormant IP successfully, especially one with a built in millennial and Gen Z fanbase that has kept the original film’s aesthetic alive for years on social media. All the pieces are there, they just have not been officially confirmed yet.

For now, nothing is locked in, but between the box office performance, the unused Hoffman source material, and reviewers already floating the trilogy idea themselves, a ‘Practical Magic 3′ feels less like a question of if and more a question of when. Do you think Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman should return one more time to close out the Owens sisters’ story, or should the franchise pass the wand to the next generation entirely?