‘Practical Magic 2’ Stumbles as Warner Bros.’ Box Office Troubles Continue

Warner Bros. was hoping “Practical Magic 2” would give its difficult 2026 box office run a much-needed boost. The sequel had several things working in its favor, including the return of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman nearly 30 years after the original movie. There was also plenty of nostalgia around the project, making it look like a fairly safe bet for a strong opening. Instead, the movie has delivered another disappointing result for the studio.

Early tracking suggested that “Practical Magic 2” could open somewhere between $30 million and $40 million in North America. Those numbers would have made it one of Warner Bros.’ stronger performers of the year. However, the actual start was much weaker. The movie made about $7.5 million on Friday, including preview screenings. Industry tracker F*XOXO put the Friday figure slightly higher at around $7.75 million, but the overall picture was still far below expectations.

The biggest problem appears to be the lack of strong walk-up business. Advance ticket sales had looked encouraging, but that interest did not turn into the kind of opening-day crowd the studio needed. The difference between the early projections and the actual numbers is especially noticeable because the movie was built around a well-known property and the return of two major stars. Warner Bros. clearly expected fans of the original to turn out in much larger numbers.

The disappointing result is also part of a much bigger problem for the studio. Warner Bros. Discovery reported a 46 percent year-over-year drop in theatrical revenue during the second quarter of 2026. That is a major change from 2025, when Warner Bros. became the first studio to pass $4 billion at the worldwide box office and also collected 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.

The studio has struggled to find a major domestic hit this year. Box office analyst Gitesh Pandya pointed out that Warner Bros. reached September without a single 2026 movie making more than $100 million in the United States. That makes the studio the only major Hollywood company without a nine-figure domestic release this year. Several big projects have come and gone without making the kind of impact Warner Bros. was hoping for, including Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne Hathaway’s “The End of Oak Street.”

Reviews have not given “Practical Magic 2” much help either. The sequel currently has a 34 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, only slightly above the original movie’s 30 percent rating from 1998. Some of the same complaints have returned, with critics pointing to the movie’s mix of romantic comedy and supernatural horror as one of its weaker areas. While fans of the original may have been willing to overlook those problems, the response suggests the nostalgia factor alone was not enough to turn the sequel into a major event.

The movie was also designed to be a relatively controlled investment. “Practical Magic 2” reportedly had a budget of around $75 million, which made it a much less expensive bet than many modern blockbusters. The thinking was simple: bring back Bullock and Kidman, return to a popular property, and give longtime fans another reason to head to theaters. But the early numbers show that even a recognizable franchise and two major stars cannot guarantee a big opening.

Now, much of the attention is moving toward “Dune: Part Three.” Based on the information in the report, the Denis Villeneuve sequel may be Warner Bros.’ best remaining chance to cross $100 million domestically in 2026. That puts an unusual amount of pressure on one movie, especially after so many other releases have failed to break through.

There is still time for “Practical Magic 2” to improve through word of mouth, and a weak opening does not automatically mean the entire theatrical run will be a disaster. However, the early result is another warning sign for Warner Bros. after a year that has already been far tougher than expected. A movie that seemed like an easy nostalgia win has instead left the studio waiting for its next big success, with “Dune: Part Three” now carrying much of that weight.

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