Warner Bros. Pictures is bringing Practical Magic 2 into more than 4,000 theaters this weekend, positioning the sequel to end the six-week domestic box office reign of Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The fantasy sequel arrives 28 years after Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman first played the Owens sisters in the original Practical Magic. The studio projects the new film, directed by Susanne Bier, to open with $30 million to $35 million in North America, plus another $18 million to $23 million overseas.
That domestic start would put Practical Magic 2 in notable company with its predecessor. The first film earned $46 million in total from its domestic theatrical run, which began Oct. 16, 1998, meaning the sequel has a chance to approach — or potentially exceed — that entire North American gross in its first weekend alone.
Adapted from the work of author Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic 2 brings back Bullock as Sally and Kidman as Gillian, witches trying to break the curse that has kept their family members from finding love. Joey King, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace also star.
Whether the sequel’s built-in nostalgia and returning leads can overcome a chilly critical reception remains part of the weekend story. The film holds a 36 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Angie Han wrote that the movie “works better the less you look for any sense of logic, and the more you just lean into the transient joys of watching these [two] actresses bounce off each other.”
A box office streak nears its end
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has led the domestic box office for six consecutive weeks, but that run is expected to conclude this weekend. Even so, the Tom Holland-led film from Marvel Studios continues to loom over the marketplace.
The record-setting movie is on course to become the top title on the all-time North American chart. It is expected to soon pass the $936 million domestic total of 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, with that milestone projected to happen either this weekend or the following one.
That creates an unusual split-screen moment at the box office: Practical Magic 2 is looking to claim the weekend crown, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues chasing a historic domestic benchmark even as its No. 1 streak winds down.
Other new competition enters theaters
Practical Magic 2 is not the only new wide-release contender arriving. Angel is opening Runner, starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson. Focus Features has the Andrew Garfield-led The Uprising, while Inaugural is releasing The Fix, featuring Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi.
Still, the weekend’s central question is whether the return of Bullock and Kidman as the Owens sisters can deliver the kind of opening Warner Bros. is projecting — and officially close the chapter on Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s long run atop the domestic chart.