It is kind of amazing to think that Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman first played Sally and Gillian Owens nearly three decades ago.
Practical Magic arrived in 1998, and at the time, the reaction was mixed. Critics weren’t exactly lining up to call it a classic, and the movie didn’t become the kind of gigantic hit where a sequel immediately seemed inevitable.
Then fans took over. People kept watching Practical Magic. They bought it, rented it, discovered it on television and eventually streamed it. Somewhere along the way, the movie became a genuine favorite, especially for viewers who loved the Owens sisters, the witchcraft, the romance and that slightly strange world where family drama and magic could exist in the same scene. And yes, the midnight margaritas certainly didn’t hurt.
Now, 28 years later, Bullock and Kidman are finally together again in Practical Magic 2.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman made the first movie work
There are a lot of things people remember about Practical Magic, but the relationship between Sally and Gillian has always been near the top of the list. That comes down to Bullock and Kidman.
The sisters are completely different. Sally wants stability. Gillian is much more willing to run toward chaos. They can annoy each other, argue with each other and still be the first person the other one turns to when everything goes wrong.
Bullock and Kidman made that relationship feel easy. You believed they had grown up together.
Maybe that is why it is so surprising that the two actresses never made another movie together after Practical Magic. Not until now.
Nearly three decades later, they picked right back up
Bullock and Kidman remained friends over the years, which probably helped when it finally came time to step back into these characters.
They told us that the chemistry was still there when they reunited for Practical Magic 2. Actually, they think it may be even stronger now.
That makes a certain amount of sense. They are not the same women they were in 1998, and Sally and Gillian aren’t supposed to be either. Nearly 30 years have passed for everybody.
There is something fun about seeing two actors return to characters after that much time and not having to pretend nothing has changed.
Click on the video to hear Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman talk about reuniting for Practical Magic 2 and whether that old chemistry came right back.
Practical Magic became bigger with time
The funny thing about Practical Magic is that its story did not end when it left theaters. If anything, that is when the movie really started becoming what it is today.
Fans kept it alive. New viewers found it. The Owens sisters became characters people wanted to revisit, and the movie slowly turned into something of a fall tradition.
That is a very different road to a sequel than simply making another movie because the first one had a huge opening weekend. It took 28 years. Maybe that was exactly what it needed.
Now the people who grew up loving Sally and Gillian get to see Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman together again, while a new generation gets introduced to the Owens family.
And after all that time, the magic between the two stars apparently never went anywhere.
Practical Magic 2 is now playing in theaters.
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