Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock reunited in London on Wednesday night for the European premiere of Practical Magic 2, bringing the long-awaited sequel to Leicester Square.
Nearly three decades after starring together in the 1998 cult classic, the pair walked the blue carpet as witchy sisters Gillian and Sally Owens. The original film followed the Owens sisters as they navigated love, loss and the complications of being born into a family of witches cursed in matters of the heart. This time around, Sally and Gillian face a multi-generational curse threatening the next generation of their family.
Star-studded carpet reunions
Kidman, 59, embraced her longtime co-star as they posed together, wearing a shimmering white gown embellished with gold chain and pearl detailing. They were joined by the film’s younger generation of stars, including The Kissing Booth actress Joey King.
King, 27, leaned into the film’s romantic, witchy aesthetic in a pale blue mesh gown layered over a pastel yellow two-piece, while Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams also walked the carpet in a simple burgundy gown. Original Practical Magic stars Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest also joined the celebrations, marking another reunion nearly 30 years after they first appeared as the eccentric Owens aunts, Frances and Jet. Fellow sequel cast members Solly McLeod and Xolo Maridueña completed the lineup as Leicester Square welcomed the Owens family back.
Bullock and Kidman on the magic of returning
In the screening, Bullock reflected on bringing the European premiere to London, thanking the city for helping capture the magic of the first film for the sequel. “We’re so incredibly grateful to be here tonight in this glorious city because you hosted us in making this film, all the beautiful witchy ancestors that floated about...” she told the audience. “You guys just treated us with such kindest and gave us such beauty on screen and we’re so incredibly grateful and so grateful that after all these decades we were able to come back and tell a story in the same way but different.”
On the red carpet, Kidman said it was “amazing” to reunite with Bullock for the film’s sequel and thanked the “groundswell of fans” that made it possible. The Oscar-winning actress told the Press Association: “It used to be that films came out and they died, then they would find a life of their own. So much of the time now that doesn’t happen – it comes out, it’s gone, it’s so quick. This is an example of a film that can find its way, and people eventually find it and then demand a sequel, which is great.”
Kidman also said the latest instalment has been made “primarily due to the groundswell of fans” as she discussed the “amazing” new film. She added: “To be able to come back 28 years later and star in this movie together, and be able to get it made… It is so hard to get a film made, particularly with a budget that is decent, and to be able to do it together as women is kind of fantastic. That’s gratifying in itself, and hopefully it says something about the industry where you can do it.”
Bullock shared the sentiment that it was “easy” to step back into her role as Sally Owens almost three decades later. Reflecting on her dynamic with Kidman, she added: “The bickering, the joking… We are the same people that we were back then, except now we have children.” The Oscar-winning actress also praised the magic of returning to the Owens family home, adding: “We don’t have the midnight margaritas without the house. The house is the heart of this film. It was the most iconic thing for us to rebuild that.”
Practical Magic 2 will be released in cinemas across the UK on September 11.
