Sandra Bullock has spent nearly three decades playing witch Sally Owens, and it turns out she's not quite ready to hang up the broomstick — she just might not be the one holding it. With Practical Magic 2 set to hit theaters on September 10, the actress used a new interview to address whether the Owens family saga could stretch to a third film. Here's everything you need to know about what she said, and why a Practical Magic 3 is still far from a sure thing.
Key Facts
- Bullock, 62, says a third film depends on how Practical Magic 2 performs at the box office.
- She suggested the next installment would center on her character's onscreen daughters, not her.
- Practical Magic 2 introduces Joey King and Maisie Williams as a new generation of Owens witches.
- The sequel arrives nearly 28 years after the original 1998 film became a cult classic.
What Sandra Bullock Said About a Third Film
Could Bullock cast one more spell and conjure up a second sequel? Possibly — but only if audiences show up first. Bullock addressed the question directly, tying any future installment to how Practical Magic 2 is received when it opens this week.
"We'll pass the torch to the girls," Bullock revealed to Vanity Fair in an interview published Thursday, Sept. 3. The comment points to a clear succession plan: rather than centering a third movie on Sally and her sister Gillian, played by Nicole Kidman, Bullock envisions handing the franchise to the next generation of Owens women. It's a candid answer — and a rare one, since most stars dodge sequel questions before a film even opens.
Why a Sequel Isn't Guaranteed Yet
A third film isn't locked in, and Bullock knows better than most how quickly a Practical Magic movie can go sideways with critics and audiences alike. The original 1998 film was a costly flop before it slowly earned cult status over the following decades.
"And then it got quiet," Bullock said, reflecting on the muted response to the first film in a separate conversation with Variety. She recalled executives second-guessing the project's tone and its ensemble of women almost as soon as it hit theaters. That history is part of why she's framing Practical Magic 3 as conditional rather than confirmed — this franchise has burned once before, and everyone involved seems intent on not repeating it.
Meet the New Generation of Owens Witches
Practical Magic 2 brings back Bullock and Kidman as the witchy Owens sisters, along with Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as the aunts who raised them. But the real changing of the guard is Bullock's onscreen daughters: Joey King, 27, and Maisie Williams, 29, who play Kylie and Antonia Owens.
Williams, best known for Game of Thrones, has leaned into the passing-of-the-torch theme off-screen, too — she recreated several of Bullock's vintage red-carpet looks from the film's original press tour, earning her onscreen mother's public seal of approval. The recasting of the family's younger generation wasn't without friction: original cast member Evan Rachel Wood, who appeared in the 1998 film, said she wished someone from the production had reached out before King stepped into a similar role, though director Susanne Bier has said the change simply reflects the characters aging into young adults.
The Story Practical Magic 2 Is Telling
Directed by Susanne Bier from a script by original Practical Magic writer Akiva Goldsman and Succession's Georgia Pitchett, the sequel is loosely based on Alice Hoffman's novel The Book of Magic. Set roughly twenty-five years after the original, it follows Sally's daughter Kylie as she uncovers long-buried family secrets and begins developing dark magical abilities of her own — forcing the entire Owens clan to travel from Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to confront the true source of their curse.
Kidman has said the cast wanted this story told for decades. "We're so excited," Kidman told Variety, describing conversations about a sequel that started while the original film was still shooting nearly thirty years ago. That kind of long-simmering enthusiasm, per multiple cast members, is part of why the tone of Practical Magic 2 leans into nostalgia even as it hands the spotlight to newcomers.
What's Next for the Franchise
Producer Denise Di Novi has framed the franchise's appeal in broader terms than box office numbers. "There's a joyousness to that movie," Di Novi told PEOPLE in August, pointing to themes of sisterhood and acceptance that made the original resonate long after its rocky debut.
Whether that joy translates into ticket sales — and eventually a green light for Practical Magic 3 — will become clear fast. Practical Magic 2 opens in theaters September 10, and Bullock's comments suggest she's already made peace with whatever comes next, torch in hand, ready to pass it along.
Fans hoping for more Owens family lore have plenty to watch for in the meantime — including whether other long-running franchises follow a similar playbook. Josh Brolin confirms Sicario 3 is moving forward and see how this year's biggest movies are stacking up at the box office for more on how sequels get greenlit. For a look at another cast that doubted their own franchise early on, Dave Franco reveals he thought Now You See Me would flop.
For now, all eyes are on Practical Magic 2's opening weekend. If the numbers add up, keep reading Bigwritehook for updates on whether Bullock and Kidman officially pass the torch to the next generation of Owens witches.
Sources
- Bullock, Sandra. Interview. Vanity Fair, Sept. 3, 2026.
- Smart, Jack. "Sandra Bullock Says a 'Practical Magic 3' Is Possible: 'We'll Pass the Torch to the Girls.'" PEOPLE, Sept. 4, 2026.
- Practical Magic 2. Wikipedia, accessed Sept. 4, 2026.
