'Practical Magic 2' Holds Steady in Week Two as It Closes In on $50 Million

Legacy sequels live or die on their second weekend, when the built-in nostalgia of an opening crowd gives way to whether general audiences actually want more of the story. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s return to the Owens sisters faced exactly that test this weekend, going up against one of the fall’s most anticipated new releases.

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot arrived with massive fanfare, dominating the box office conversation and pushing every other release into its shadow. Against that kind of competition, ‘Practical Magic 2’ still managed to hold its ground in a genuinely respectable way.

‘Practical Magic 2′ took second place at the box office on Friday, bringing in an additional $3.1 million in its second week, according to Variety. Over the weekend, the witchy sequel is expected to earn another $10.4 million, bringing the film’s cumulative total to $48.2 million.

Landing at number two against a franchise reboot as heavily promoted as ‘Resident Evil’ represents a meaningful win for a film that opened to a mixed initial reaction. The sequel debuted with roughly $30 million domestically from 4,146 theaters, a number some outlets characterized as underwhelming relative to expectations for a film reuniting two A-list stars from a beloved 1990s original.

Crossing the $48 million mark by its second weekend suggests the film has found a steady audience willing to return week after week, even without the benefit of a runaway opening. For a legacy sequel carrying a reported $75 million production budget, that kind of consistent performance matters just as much as a flashy debut.

‘Practical Magic 2′ continues the story of the Owens family and their ancestral curse, which dooms any man who falls in love with an Owens woman to an early death. Sally and Gillian believed they’d broken that curse years earlier, but Sally’s second husband Gary’s death proves otherwise, leading her to suppress her daughters’ magical heritage entirely.

That decision comes back to haunt the family when Kylie’s boyfriend falls into a coma after she declares her love for him, sending Sally, Gillian, and the next generation searching for answers using the mysterious Book of Raven. Their search eventually leads them to England, where they encounter Tom Lockland, a dark warlock attempting to steal Kylie’s powers for himself, setting up the film’s central conflict.

Practical Magic 2 | Official Trailer🎬

It's the season of the witch. #PracticalMagic2 casts its spell in theatres this September. pic.twitter.com/2EEwXdsDju
— Cinemark Theatres (@Cinemark) June 24, 2026

Reviews for ‘Practical Magic 2’ landed in decidedly mixed territory, with the film holding a 38 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from 121 critics and a 44 out of 100 on Metacritic, reflecting what critics broadly described as an “average” reception. Despite that lukewarm critical response, audiences responded more warmly, awarding the film a “B+” CinemaScore that actually surpasses the original 1998 film’s “B-” grade.

That disconnect between critical and audience reception may help explain why the film’s second-weekend hold has stayed relatively strong, since positive word of mouth from opening-weekend viewers can carry a film even when reviews skew lukewarm. Director Susanne Bier’s take on the material appears to have resonated most strongly with fans already invested in the Owens sisters rather than newcomers to the franchise.

The sequel rounds out its story with Sally, Gillian, and the rest of the Owens women ultimately defeating Tom Lockland through blood magic, only to discover that a willing witch’s sacrifice is the only way to permanently break the family curse. Aunt Frances, played by Stockard Channing, ultimately makes that sacrifice, finally freeing the family from generations of tragedy.

With the film continuing to add steady box office totals week over week, ‘Practical Magic 2’ looks positioned to comfortably clear the $50 million mark in the days ahead, even without unseating ‘Resident Evil’ from the top spot.

Beyond Bullock and Kidman, the sequel brings back Dianne Wiest as Jet alongside newer additions like Joey King as Kylie and Maisie Williams as Antonia, giving the franchise a built-in bridge between its original fanbase and younger viewers discovering the Owens family for the first time. Lee Pace and Xolo Maridueña round out the supporting cast, adding fresh faces to a story otherwise steeped in nostalgia.

That blend of returning stars and newer talent may end up being exactly what keeps audiences coming back in the weeks ahead, even as flashier new releases continue crowding the fall box office calendar.