Practical Magic 2: Joey King and Maisie Williams on the ‘Massive Responsibility’ of Joining the Sequel

There are two kinds of sequels: the ones nobody asked for, and the ones fans have been manifesting for literal decades. Practical Magic 2 is firmly in the second camp, and now we finally know a little more about the next generation of the Owens family — straight from the two actresses carrying that legacy forward.

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Joey King and Maisie Williams opened up about joining the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 cult classic, playing the grown-up daughters of Sandra Bullock’s Sally Owens. And if you think they walked onto that set with confidence, think again.

Why Joey King and Maisie Williams Felt the Weight of Practical Magic 2

“As fans of the original film myself, ourselves, I feel like when you love something as much as we already love Practical Magic, there’s just massive responsibility of joining the team and wanting to do it justice,” King told PEOPLE. The 26-year-old actress, best known for The Kissing Booth franchise and Bullet Train, plays Kylie Owens, Sally’s elder daughter — the character who discovers dark family secrets and her own hidden powers, plunging the Owens clan into a whole new crisis.

Williams, who shot to fame as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, plays Antonia Owens, Sally’s younger daughter. She echoed that pressure, but also talked up how welcoming the original stars were on set — especially Bullock, who apparently took her role as screen mom very seriously.

“Sandy just takes us under her wing as her daughters. It is really special to have this post-movie bond with her that we have. She sends us voice notes all the time. She’s always hyping us up. She’s just the sweetest.”

The on-set chemistry reportedly got delightfully chaotic, too. Williams recounted how the younger cast kept dropping Gen Z slang around their legendary co-stars: “We were saying ‘wig’ a lot. And then Nicole was like, ‘What’s wig?’ And we were like, ‘It means work it, girl.'” Meanwhile, Bullock returned the favor by introducing King and Williams to internet trends she’d learned from her own kids.

Who Else Is Back for the Owens Family Reunion

Of course, the big draw of Practical Magic 2 is the long-awaited return of the original sisters. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman both reprise their roles as Sally and Gillian Owens, and they’re not the only ones. Dianne Wiest returns as Aunt Jet and Stockard Channing is back as Aunt Frances, so the full witchy support system is intact.

Joining King and Williams in the new generation are Lee Pace as Ian Wright, an academic who studies the history of magic and becomes Sally’s love interest, Xolo Maridueña (of Cobra Kai fame) as Kylie’s love interest, and Solly McLeod as Thomas Lockland, a dark warlock who wants to harness Kylie’s powers. That’s a solid ensemble — and a reminder of how much star power this project has quietly stacked.

Behind the camera, there’s a major change from the original. While Griffin Dunne directed the 1998 film, the sequel is helmed by Susanne Bier, the Danish director who won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film with In a Better World and has a proven track record with this very cast — she directed Bullock in the Netflix smash Bird Box. The screenplay comes from Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett, and Kelly Marcel, and it’s based on Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel The Book of Magic — the final chapter of the trilogy that began with the original novel.

What the Sequel Is Actually About

Set 25 years after the events of the first film, Practical Magic 2 follows the Owens women as they face a crisis rooted in the very origins of their magic. When Kylie starts uncovering hidden family secrets and developing dark abilities of her own, the family is plunged into a multi-generational fight to finally break the curse that has haunted the Owens bloodline for centuries. That means a trip from Massachusetts all the way to the United Kingdom to confront the source of their power — which explains why filming took the production to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and locations across Devon and London.

For anyone who loves the original, that premise hits all the right notes: the sisterly bond, the inherited magic, the family curse, and now a fresh generational layer that gives King and Williams something real to play.

Why Practical Magic 2 Matters

Here’s the thing about the original Practical Magic: it wasn’t a huge critical darling when it hit theaters in 1998. But it found its people. Over the years, it grew into one of the most beloved comfort movies of the era — the kind of film that gets rewatched every Halloween and soundtracked by “Coconut” on repeat. That’s exactly why this sequel has so much goodwill behind it, and why King and Williams’ nervousness makes total sense. When you’re stepping into a story that means this much to people, “massive responsibility” is pretty much the minimum.

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have been circling this sequel for years. Kidman confirmed talks about a follow-up back in 2024, and Warner Bros. officially announced the project in June of that year with Bullock and Kidman both attached as stars and producers. The movie finally started production in July 2025 and wrapped in September.

Release Date and What to Watch While You Wait

Practical Magic 2 hits theaters on September 11, 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was originally slated for September 18 before being bumped up a week.

While you wait, there’s plenty of Owens-adjacent viewing to keep the mood going. If you want more of Nicole Kidman at her most magnetic, Big Little Lies is the obvious rewatch. If you’re here for Maisie Williams, the final seasons of Game of Thrones are always an option. And if Sandra Bullock is your reason for existing, Bird Box and its sequel offer two very different kinds of tension.

The real question is whether Practical Magic 2 can capture the same cozy, witchy, slightly unhinged energy that made the original a cult favorite. With Bullock and Kidman back in the fold, the aunts back in tow, and a whole new generation of the Owens family ready to embrace their powers, this one has a real shot at being the feel-good blockbuster of the fall.

Are you ready for the Owens sisters to cast another spell? We know we are.