Susanne Bier Finally Addresses Why Evan Rachel Wood’s ‘Practical Magic 2’ Recasting Wasn’t Personal

Nearly three decades after ‘Practical Magic’ first cast its spell on audiences, the road back to the Owens family has proven just as complicated behind the scenes as the witchy curse at the center of the story itself. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s long-awaited reunion has generated plenty of excitement, but not every original cast member has found their way back into the fold.

That absence became a genuine talking point last year when Evan Rachel Wood revealed she hadn’t been asked to reprise her role as Kylie Owens, the eldest daughter of Bullock’s character in the original 1998 film. Wood said at the time that she’d offered to return, even for a single line of dialogue, only to be told her character was being recast entirely, a revelation that left fans questioning why the sequel would leave behind such a beloved piece of its original ensemble.

Now, director Susanne Bier is finally addressing that decision directly. Speaking at the film’s recent premiere, Bier explained that the choice to recast Kylie had nothing to do with any personal issue with Wood, framing it instead as a natural consequence of where the story picks up. “The kids in the story are right out of college, so it wasn’t really a question,” Bier told Variety, clarifying that the sequel’s timeline simply didn’t align with continuing Wood’s version of the character.

That explanation lines up with what’s known about the new film’s structure. Joey King has stepped into the role previously played by Wood, effectively de-aging the character by more than a decade to fit the story’s updated timeline, which follows a younger generation of the Owens family navigating adulthood.

Bier’s comments help clarify a decision that had otherwise gone largely unexplained since Wood first went public with her disappointment. At the time, Wood emphasized that the decision wasn’t hers to make, noting on social media that she would have “happily rejoined” her former castmates if given the opportunity, while acknowledging the situation was simply out of her control.

‘Practical Magic 2’ brings back Bullock and Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, alongside Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest reprising their roles as the family’s eccentric aunts. The new cast expanding the story’s next generation includes King, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod, with Williams taking on the role of Bullock’s on-screen daughter, Antonia.

Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original film, returned to pen the sequel’s screenplay alongside Georgia Pritchett, while Bier takes over directing duties from Griffin Dunne. The sequel reportedly draws inspiration from a later installment in Alice Hoffman’s expanded book series rather than functioning as a direct continuation of the first film’s plot.

For a franchise that built its reputation on the deep bond between its central characters, the recasting decision understandably struck a nerve with longtime fans who’d hoped to see the entire original family return intact. Bier’s explanation offers a straightforward, practical reasoning behind the choice, even if it doesn’t fully erase the disappointment some fans and Wood herself expressed.

With ‘Practical Magic 2’ set to hit theaters on September 18, 2026, audiences will soon get to see exactly how this new generation of Owens women fits into the story that first captivated moviegoers nearly thirty years ago.

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