It’s been 28 years since we last saw the Owens sisters, and that’s 28 years too long.
But America’s long witch sister drought is now over, as Practical Magic 2, the long-awaited sequel to the cult film from 1998, is back in theaters.
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock reprise their roles as Gilly and Sally Owens, two siblings with a talent for casting spells — and getting into all sorts of trouble.
Since the high-profile sequel is sparking an interest in the original, Watch With Us has thrown together a handy guide to where you can stream Practical Magic, Practical Magic 2 and whether the first film is worth watching after all these years.
Where Is ‘Practical Magic’ Streaming?
Practical Magic is available to stream on HBO. It’s also technically available on Hulu and Prime Video, but only with an HBO Max bundle. You can also rent or purchase Practical Magic on digital platforms, like YouTube and Prime Video.
What Is ‘Practical Magic’ About?
Sally and Gilly are two sisters blessed and cursed with being generational witches. After losing her husband to a curse that kills any man who falls in love with an Owens woman, Sally refrains from using magic, while the more free-spirited Gilly uses it recklessly. When she gets involved with dangerous criminal Jimmy (Goran Visnjic), Gilly asks her sister to help her get rid of him. Things get complicated when a private investigator, Gary (Aidan Quinn), comes looking for Jimmy and bonds with Sally, who can’t fight her growing romantic interest despite her fear of the curse.
Who Stars in ‘Practical Magic’?
Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens
Nicole Kidman as Gillian “Gilly” Owens
Stockard Channing as Frances Owens, Sally and Gillian’s aunt
Dianne Wiest as Bridget “Jet” Owens, Sally and Gillian’s aunt
Goran Visnjic as James “Jimmy” Angelov, Gillian’s lover
Chloe Webb as Carla, Sally’s good friend
Aidan Quinn as Investigator Gary Hallet
Evan Rachel Wood as Kylie Owens, Sally’s elder daughter
Alexandra Artrip as Antonia Owens, Sally’s younger daughter
Margo Martindale as Linda Bennett, another friend of Sally’s
Lucinda Jenney as Sara, one of the town women
Camilla Belle as young Sally Owens
Lora Anne Criswell as young Gillian Owens
Courtney Dettrich as Young Sara
Mary Gross as Debbie
Mark Feuerstein as Michael Greene, Sally’s husband
Caprice Benedetti as Maria Owens
Martha Gehman as Patty
Peter Shaw as Jack, Sally and Gillian’s father
Caralyn Kozlowski as Regina Owens, Sally and Gillian’s mother
Most of the principal cast returned for the sequel except for the actors who played Sally’s children, who were replaced by Joey King (as Kylie) and Maisie Williams (as Antonia). The original Kylie, Evan Rachel Wood, didn’t like that at all and has been public about her disappointment in not being asked to appear in the sequel.
Is ‘Practical Magic’ Still Worth Watching?
To quote a popular Jemima Kirke meme, “What the hell, sure.” The original isn’t a masterpiece; it carries a very low 30 percent Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, and it’s filled with female empowerment clichés and witchcraft stereotypes that make you want to groan. But Bullock and Kidman have a great good sister/bad sister chemistry that makes them fun to watch, and the film is stolen by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as Sally and Gilly’s Steve Nicks-looking aunts. The film’s soundtrack is the perfect snapshot of late-90s music, with Faith Hill’s monster hit “This Kiss” prominently featured.
When Will ‘Practical Magic 2’ Be Available to Stream?
Like the first film, Practical Magic 2 is being released by Warner Bros., so expect it to be available on HBO Max.
There’s no announced streaming date for Practical Magic 2 just yet, but WB typically allows four months between releasing a movie in theaters and debuting it on their streaming platform. (Supergirl, which was released at the end of June, just dropped on HBO in the first week of September.)
With that timeframe in mind, expect Practical Magic 2 to become available on HBO Max around mid-December at the earliest and January 2027 at the latest. Spooky season will be long over, but who says you can’t have some witchy fun in the winter?
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