“Practical Magic 2” opens in theaters nearly 28 years after the 1998 original, bringing back Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. The sequel is set roughly 25 years after the first film and follows the Owens family as they try to deal with the family curse, including a trip to the UK.

Box-office reporting emphasizes a softer-than-expected start in North America. Variety says the film debuts with about $30 million from 4,146 theaters, landing on the lower end of expectations, while other outlets note it opened as a belated follow-up aimed at nostalgia. A separate pre-release tracking report had suggested the sequel could outperform the original’s opening weekend.

Critics are also largely divided toward negative assessments. Multiple reviews cited by HuffPost UK and ComingSoon.net describe the sequel as failing to recapture the original’s charm, with commentary on conventional storytelling and shortcomings beyond the performances of Bullock and Kidman. Some reviews still find warm, fan-oriented elements and acknowledge the leads’ on-screen chemistry, while review aggregations referenced by ComingSoon.net indicate a low Rotten Tomatoes score. Other coverage frames the reunion as a nostalgia play for longtime viewers.