Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Reveal the Real Reason ‘Practical Magic’ Became a Queer Cult Classic

Some films take decades to find their true audience, quietly building a devoted following long after their theatrical run has faded from memory. Few movies illustrate that slow-burn journey quite like the 1998 supernatural comedy that reunited two of Hollywood’s biggest stars as a pair of witchy sisters.

Nearly three decades after its lukewarm theatrical debut, that same film has become such a beloved touchstone that its stars are now returning for a full-fledged sequel. With the press tour for that follow-up now underway, both actresses are opening up about just how differently the story landed the second time around, and who exactly kept it alive in the years between.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman say the gays are their family, crediting the LGBTQ community’s embrace of ‘Practical Magic’ with turning the film into the cult classic it is today. Speaking with Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Practical Magic 2,’ the pair also admitted they can’t fully explain the chemistry between them, noting simply that it happened the first time and happened again the second time, according to Variety.

That chemistry wasn’t always enough to save the original film from a rocky reception. Bullock recalled that she and Kidman genuinely believed audiences were going to love the movie when it first came out, only to watch that excitement fizzle almost immediately once it hit theaters.

Bullock described the aftermath candidly, remembering how critics and audiences alike seemed unsure what to make of a film centered so heavily on women, questioning how many female leads or emotional tones a single movie needed. It was a reception that stung at the time, even as the film quietly built a devoted fanbase in the years that followed its underwhelming box office run.

Kidman offered her own reflection on why the story ultimately found its footing, describing the connection between her and Bullock as something closer to serendipity than calculation. She explained that everything simply fell into place when the timing was right, comparing it to life itself, where forcing something rarely works and patience tends to pay off instead.

The pair also used the premiere to honor someone no longer able to celebrate the sequel’s arrival alongside them, crediting an unnamed figure from the original production with giving them the space to shine in their roles. Bullock noted that the first film exists because of that person’s belief in the project, even though he never got to see how beloved it eventually became.

‘Practical Magic 2’ reunites Bullock and Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, alongside returning cast members Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as their aunts Frances and Jet. The sequel also introduces Joey King and Maisie Williams as the next generation of Owens witches, with Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod rounding out the new additions to the cast.

Directed by Susanne Bier from a screenplay co-written by original film writer Akiva Goldsman alongside Georgia Pritchett, the sequel arrives nearly 28 years after the first film’s release. Kidman reflected on that gap during the film’s earlier European premiere in London, marveling at the fact that women their age could still headline and carry a major studio film, something she admitted she wouldn’t have believed possible decades ago.

‘Practical Magic 2’ is set to hit theaters on September 18, closing out a journey that began with a movie many people initially wrote off. For a film built around sisterhood, second chances and the kind of magic that takes time to fully cast its spell, it feels fitting that its long-awaited sequel is finally arriving on the strength of the very community that refused to let the original disappear.

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