In 1998, the film received mixed reviews and performed moderately at the box office. It has since become a cult favorite, embraced by a new generation who have found romantic comedy through social media clips. The two Oscar winners are returning to their roles as sorcerer sisters Sally and Gillian Owens in “Practical Magic 2,” in theaters Sept. 10, giving them a chance to come to terms with the original’s rocky reception and its unlikely second life.

Both films trace their roots to Alice Hoffman’s novels: “Practical Magic”, published in 1995, inspired the original film, while her 2021 novel “The Book of Magic” expands the story of the Owens family and provides inspiration for the sequel.

Bullock recalls the promotion of the original film that became memorable – for the wrong reasons.

Bullock recalls, “From the first I was traumatized by the press junket because it was brutal.” “We weren’t well accepted because we were ‘too much,’ ‘too geeky,’ ‘too many women,’ ‘too loud.’ I’m like, ‘Have you even lived a day in the life as a woman?’ “

“We didn’t wobble, but it wobbled, but it didn’t really wobble. Maybe it needed to marinate a little bit. We were marinating,” Bullock said. “But we are here, and how lucky are we to still be here to be able to reap the benefits and rewards of our work?”

The film eventually found the audience it had missed in theaters, and Bullock said he realized the reappraisal was due nearly six years ago.

“I was still very embarrassed,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, the things that were said, I’m sorry, we thought we were doing something good.’ And it turns out we did. It was only 28 years and the years changed very quickly.

Part of that second life, Bullock believes, reflects a broader change in the way people view the word “witch.”

“Witch has always had a negative connotation. It was presented that way. The word is being taken back, and the community is taking ownership saying, ‘I’m a witch and I’m proud,'” Bullock said.

For Kidman, the film’s revival became personal.

“People started coming into my life who would say, ‘Do you want to know what your favorite movie is? ‘Practical Magic.’ And suddenly I was like, ‘What?’ Wow, okay,” she said.

When it came time to make the sequel, Bullock sat down to watch the original film with her children and their friends.

“I needed fresh eyes,” she said. “Because we were starting a new chapter, there were new baby witches coming in. I wanted to understand it from a perspective that I didn’t have. I wanted to see what they had to say.”

As producers, Bullock and Kidman also had to face the practical realities of making a Legacy sequel on a budget. One of the challenges was to recreate one of the most recognizable elements of the original film: the Owens house.

The production rebuilt the house as a full structure behind London, rather than the temporary exterior shell used for the original film.

Bullock said, “It was an incredibly difficult financial time. We were protecting the dollar.” “We’re not a big superhero movie, so you don’t get the luxury of a big price tag.”

Kidman added: “And we also knew the responsibility of getting it to a certain price because then you say, ‘Okay, we can breathe a little bit,'” she said. “I think when the budget goes over, you say, ‘Oh my God, the stress.’ And we don’t need more stress in our lives. It is quite stressful.”

The sequel continues the story of a younger generation of Owens women, with Joey King and Maisie Williams playing Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia Owens.

King said, “I really appreciate that it’s like a passing of the baton. I think it’s beautiful.” “It felt like we were stepping into their world and doing this with them, and it’s a real gift and honor to be thought of as the people who are taking up the baton.”

Producer Dennis Di Novi, who also produced the original and cast King in her first leading role in 2010’s “Ramona & Beezus”, said the new characters could further the story.

He said, “We would love to make a third and I think there’s a lot to do with Kylie and Antonia.” “At the end of the movie, spoiler alert, but you feel like the Sally and Gillian characters are like big aunts, you know, and Kylie and Antonia are being launched into the world as witches.”

Williams is also hoping to expand on the story of the young Owens women: “We’re open to it. There’s so much to ‘Book of Magic’ that we haven’t had a chance to explore,” she said.

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