Actresses Joey King and Maisie Williams joined co-stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman at the London premiere of Practical Magic 2 on Tuesday night. The two stars turned heads with stylish outfits at the Leicester Square Odeon in London as they celebrated the upcoming release of the fantasy sequel.
King, 27, and Williams, 29, represent the next generation of the Practical Magic franchise. They portray Kylie and Antonia, the daughters of Sandra Bullock's character, in the new film.
The red carpet event showcased striking fashion choices from both the new additions and returning leads. King arrived at the premiere in a sheer white and yellow dress featuring a billowing skirt, pairing the look with newly dyed red hair.
Williams opted for a red corset-style dress that displayed her collection of tattoos.
Lead stars Nicole Kidman, 59, and Sandra Bullock, 62, posed together amid rows of candles at the venue. Kidman wore a custom silver Chanel gown, while Bullock selected a strapless leopard print dress from Givenchy paired with black strappy heels.
Red carpet fashion and cast reunion
The project brings Kidman and Bullock back together on screen as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, reprising their roles from the 1998 cult film Practical Magic. Kidman confirmed in 2024 that both actresses would return as the orphaned sisters who descend from a long line of witches.
Kidman has thrown herself into work this year following the finalisation of her divorce from Keith Urban in January. Meanwhile, Bullock recently opened up about the death of her partner Bryan Randall.
The two lead actresses have been actively surprising cinema audiences during their press tour. Earlier this month, Kidman, Bullock, King and Williams surprised fans at a Cinespia screening of the original 1998 film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
A behind-the-scenes video clip shared on Instagram showed the audience erupting in excitement after the women took the stage. At the event, Bullock said, "Practical Magic is the perfect movie to show at a cemetery," according to an account from The Hollywood Reporter. Kidman thanked the crowd for their support in "getting this second film made that's coming to you very soon."
Sequel plot and film production
Set 25 years after the original film, the sequel's plot is adapted from Alice Hoffman's 2021 sequel story, The Book of Magic. The fantasy feature is scheduled for release in cinemas on September 11.
A synopsis for the film reads: "The Owens women must once again unite, traveling from their home in Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family."
Kidman and Bullock served as executive producers and producers on the Warner Bros. Pictures flick, which also features actors Lee Pace and Solly McLeod. Susanne Bier directed the film, while Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the 1998 script, returned to pen the screenplay alongside Kelly Marcel and Georgia Pritchett.
Box office legacy and author origins
The original 1998 Practical Magic film focused on sisters Sally and Gillian, who were raised by their eccentric aunts, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who embraced their family's magical history. According to box office tracker The Numbers, the original movie earned $68.3 million globally, falling below its $75 million budget. Despite its initial box office figures, the film became a cult classic.
Hoffman has written three other books about the Owens family due to popular demand. Speaking in 2021, the author recalled the inspiration behind extending the story.
"I got mail from readers saying that they wanted to have a sequel, that they wanted to know what happened to the characters," Hoffman said in 2021. She added, "But, I felt like I wanted to know how these characters happened; I wanted to know their history. So I went back in time and I went to the '60s in New York City in Greenwich Village, which is my favorite time and I wish we were there right now, and it was a total pleasure."
