‘Practical Magic 2′: A Guide to the Owens Sisters’ Love Interests & Sally’s Daughters
What To Know
- Practical Magic 2 will focus on Sally and Gilly Owens, joined by Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia.
- Several original characters, including Sally’s love interest Gary will not return, and Evan Rachel Wood was replaced as Kylie.
- The sequel introduces a new character played by Lee Pace.
Practical Magic 2 won’t just revolve around two generations of Owens women like the original does. Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gilly (Nicole Kidman) will be joined by Sally’s daughters. They appear in the original movie, but will play a much more integral role in the sequel, which arrives almost 20 years later.
Kylie Owens (Joey King), in particular, is determined to end the curse that dooms any man they love to death. But her quest puts her on a dangerous path and leaves her in need of rescuing. While the first film in the romance fantasy series is based on Alice Hoffman’s book of the same name, the sequel movie pulls from the author’s The Book of Magic.
The decades between the first and the second movies mean that fans will notice some changes. Not only are some characters from the original absent — including Sally’s love interest, Gary (Aidan Quinn) — but OG Kylie actress Evan Rachel Wood has been recast. What’s more, a new man will enter the Owens’ orbit (played by Lee Pace). So, we’re recapping everything you need to remember and know going into the sequel. What happened to Gary? Why didn’t Wood return? Scroll for those answers and more.
Who was Sally’s love interest in Practical Magic?
At the start of Practical Magic, Sally casts a spell to make it so she can only fall in love with a man with impossible traits, swearing off love. Later in life, Sally falls for Michael (Mark Feuerstein) and marries him, and they have two daughters, Kylie and Antonia. Michael is hit by a car and dies, leading Sally and her daughters to move in with Sally’s aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who will reprise their roles in the sequel).
Sally finds out that the aunts cast a spell so she could marry and be happy, so Sally vows that they’ll never teach her daughters magic. Next, Gillian arrives in town and tells Sally about her abusive lover, Jimmy (Goran Visnjic), who the sisters accidentally kill after they hold him hostage. (Decidedly not swoony.)
State investigator Gary comes to town looking for Jimmy, who was under investigation for being a serial killer. Sally discovers that Gary has all the impossible traits she mentioned in the spell, realizing he is there and has feelings for Sally because of her spell. She tells him as much and warns Gary about the curse, but Gary thinks curses only work if one believes in them. He leaves to clear the Owens sisters of suspicion in Jimmy’s murder and comes back to be with Sally. They get a happily ever after then, but it seems it won’t hold up in the sequel.
Warner Bros/Everett Collection
Why isn’t Aidan Quinn’s Gary in Practical Magic 2?
It turns out curses work even if you don’t believe in them. “And if you know the original film, you can probably guess why [Gary doesn’t come back],” Bullock said CinemaCon, per Deadline. Poor Gary has bitten the dust, it seems.
Quinn addressed whether he would return for the sequel before Bullock’s comment. “No, I wasn’t asked; I would have said yes, but I wasn’t asked. Of course I would,” he told Spin 1038 in February 2026.
Who does Lee Pace play in Practical Magic 2?
The sequel has shared few details about Pace’s role. To save Kylie, Sally and Gilly ask for help from a scholar of the craft (Pace). He helps Sally unlock new powers “and perhaps something more.” (Love, we hope?)
Warner Bros. Pictures.
Who will play Sally’s kids in Practical Magic 2?
Joey King is taking over the role of Kylie, while her younger sister Antonia will be played by Maisie Williams. Williams replaces Alexandra Artrip, who has since retired from acting.
Per the trailer, it seems that Kylie will be encouraged to end the curse due to her romance with Xolo Maridueña‘s character, whose name hasn’t been revealed.
Warner Bros. Pictures.
Why didn’t Evan Rachel Wood return for Practical Magic 2?
Wood, now 38, shared in an Instagram Story that she was not asked to return for the sequel movie. “I offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line,” she wrote. “I was told they are re-casting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”
During a more recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Wood addressed her recasting again. “I read the book [The Book of Magic], and it seems like they’re not following the book. I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back; I think in the way they’re redoing it and approaching it, it didn’t make sense.”
Wood said that she was sad about not returning. “We bonded with that cast so much as children, and so to miss out on the opportunity to look at that cast and look at that house as an adult and see the history in our eyes, it’s something that can’t be faked,” she added.
Practical Magic 2, September 18, 2026, In Theaters
