Practical Magic 2 may have found its director. The original Practical Magic, which was directed by Griffin Dunne, follows sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), who dabble with their family’s magic and accidentally sow chaos in the process. The 1998 movie’s ensemble cast also included Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn, Evan Rachel Wood, and Goran Visnjic. The upcoming Practical Magic 2, which was announced in June 2024, is set to reunite Kidman and Bullock with original screenwriter Akiva Goldsman.
Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier is in talks to direct Practical Magic 2. Bier previously collaborated with Sandra Bullock on the 2018 post-apocalyptic horror-thriller Bird Box, an adaptation of the Josh Malerman novel of the same name that remains the fifth most-watched movie of all time on Netflix with over 325 million hours viewed. Bier has also worked with Nicole Kidman twice, on the 2020 HBO miniseries The Undoing and the 2024 Netflix miniseries The Perfect Couple.
What This Means For Practical Magic 2
The Project Is Moving Forward
Susanne Bier helming the Sandra Bullock movie could be significant for all three of the major players involved. For Bier, it would mark the first time that she has helmed a feature film since Bird Box, as she has primarily directed television in the meantime. For Kidman and Bullock, it would mean the resumption of a professional relationship that has already borne fruit for both stars, likely allowing them to return to their iconic roles with a sense of comfort.
In addition to directing The Undoing and The Perfect Couple, Susanne Bier’s post-Bird Box career has included the Showtime drama The First Lady.
Because of these important professional and interpersonal connections, it seems possible that the deal will close soon and that Bier will officially become the director of the belated sequel. While it will still be some time before the movie will premiere and finally follow up on the Practical Magic ending after more than two and a half decades, this would mean that the project is making significant forward progress and its production timeline could finally be moving more swiftly after its initial slow-going development.
Our Take On The Practical Magic 2 Update
Bier Is An Inspired Choice
Bier might seem like an unusual choice for Practical Magic 2 because she has never helmed a fantasy project before. However, the filmmakers’ previous projects, which embody a wide variety of genres, show that she has a facility with shepherding female-led stories to the screen. As the original 1998 movie is more of a drama with fantasy elements, her skillset will likely prove invaluable in imbuing the story of the sequel with relatable characters and powerful dramatic stakes, which would help it immensely.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
