Arabic version: طاقم «السحر العملي 2» يتأمل الحنين إلى الماضي

According to BBC News, the renewed popularity of 1998 fantasy romantic comedy Practical Magic helped persuade Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to return as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens for a sequel nearly 30 years later. The original film received mixed critical reviews on release, but has found a new online audience that regards it as a cult classic and an autumn favourite.

Joey King and Maisie Williams join Practical Magic 2 as Sally’s daughters, Kylie and Antonia. King said audiences may be drawn to nostalgic entertainment because “the world [is] moving so fast” and people miss times when they were less reachable. She said cinema can create memories and feelings that viewers can revisit through rewatches.

Williams described the appetite for nostalgic content as “a symptom of people longing for simpler times”, while saying she was grateful the production was a sequel rather than a remake. She said stories can return and remain meaningful, but added that she believes in pushing stories forward and telling new ones.

The sequel returns to a world of ancestral magic, with the Owens family again facing a curse that condemns anyone who loves, and is loved by, an Owens woman to death. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing reprise their roles, while Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod are new additions. Reviews so far have been mixed, with the Guardian calling it a “nostalgia-bait return” and The Hollywood Reporter describing the sequel as “slapdash”.

Williams said the cast welcomed King and her “into the sisterhood”. She said women supporting one another was particularly important during what she called a challenging time, adding that there was still “a lot of work to do”.