The Owens sisters are back. The midnight margaritas have been poured. And if you walked out of Practical Magic 2 with a warm, witchy glow and absolutely nowhere to put it.
Practical Magic 2 hit theaters on September 10, 2026, nearly 30 years after the original charmed audiences in 1998. Director Susanne Bier reunited the entire original Owens family – Gilly (Nicole Kidman), Sally (Sandra Bullock), Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest), and even Stockard Channing as Aunt Fran – while introducing a new younger generation in Joey King and Maisie Williams.
The film has the same DNA that made the original a cult classic: female bonds, generational curses, cozy New England atmosphere, and magic that feels more emotional than theatrical. The enduring appeal of Practical Magic has always gone well beyond witchcraft. The Owens sisters made both films memorable through their relationship, complicated romances, family baggage, and the cozy world surrounding them.
So what do you watch next? We’ve picked ten films that hit the same notes — sisterhood, spells, romance, and a touch of something deliciously dark. Each one earns its place for a different reason.
Quick Reference Table
| Film | Year | Why It Fits | Where to Watch |
| Practical Magic (1998) | 1998 | The original | Max |
| The Craft | 1996 | Dark, edgy witchcraft and female coven | Netflix |
| The Witches of Eastwick | 1987 | Female power, comedy, supernatural | Streaming rental |
| Hocus Pocus | 1993 | Sisterhood, Salem, autumn magic | Disney+ |
| Wicked (2024) | 2024 | Iconic female bond, witches, showstopper | Peacock |
| Stardust | 2007 | Romantic fantasy, curses, adventure | Streaming rental |
| Into the Woods | 2014 | Generational curses, family, fairy tale | Disney+ |
| Like Water for Chocolate | 1992 | Magical realism, repressed passion, women | Streaming rental |
| Howl’s Moving Castle | 2004 | Curses, romance, transformation | Netflix |
| Beautiful Creatures | 2013 | Gothic romance, cursed bloodline, small town | Streaming rental |
1. Practical Magic (1998)
Genre: Fantasy / Romance / Drama Director: Griffin Dunne Stars: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing
You already know why this is first on the list. Before you explore anything else, revisit the original.
The 1998 film is the entire foundation. It introduces the Owens sisters, the aunts, the curse, and the gorgeous clapboard house in Massachusetts that the sequel picks up right where it left off. Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian’s vicious boyfriend dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic.
The original didn’t perform well at the box office in 1998. Critics were mixed. But audiences kept coming back. It became a cable television staple, a Halloween ritual, and eventually one of the most beloved witch films ever made. A whole coven of appreciation has grown around Alice Hoffman’s witches – one that only deepens with every rewatching.
Everything that makes the sequel work, the sisterly chemistry between Bullock and Kidman, the warmth of the aunts, the gothic romanticism of the house is rooted here. If you haven’t seen it recently, watch it the night before Practical Magic 2. You’ll catch details you never noticed before.
| Detail | Info |
| Based on | Alice Hoffman’s novel Practical Magic (1995) |
| Box office | $46.1 million lifetime (including re-releases) |
| Where to stream | Max |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 24% critics / 82% audience |
2. The Craft (1996)
Genre: Supernatural Horror / Drama Director: Andrew Fleming Stars: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
If the witchcraft is what pulled you into Practical Magic 2, this is where you go next. The Craft is the darker, sharper, more dangerous cousin of the Owens family’s story.
Four teenage outcasts – Sarah, Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle form a coven at their Los Angeles Catholic school and discover that their collective power can change far more than their high school social lives. The tone becomes considerably darker than anything involving the Owens family, particularly as Nancy becomes consumed by her newfound abilities.
The film shares Practical Magic‘s core obsession with women finding community and power through magic. It also asks the same question: what happens when those bonds fracture? Where Practical Magic 2 resolves its tensions through love and sacrifice, The Craft goes somewhere much bleaker, and much more memorable for it.
The 1990s soundtrack is iconic. Fairuza Balk’s performance as Nancy is one of the most committed, genuinely frightening portrayals in the genre. And the film’s central idea that real power is just as likely to destroy you as save you gives it a darkness that lingers long after the credits roll.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 1996 |
| Where to stream | Netflix |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 55% critics / 77% audience |
| Legacy | Inspired The Craft: Legacy (2020) |
3. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Genre: Dark Fantasy / Comedy Director: George Miller Stars: Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jack Nicholson
Three bored, dissatisfied women in a small Rhode Island town discover they might be witches. Then Jack Nicholson shows up and everything gets beautifully, gloriously chaotic.
Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie are three dissatisfied women living in the picturesque town of Eastwick. A sculptor, a music teacher, and a newspaper columnist – each one has lost her husband in one way or another. The arrival of the mysterious Daryl Van Horne marks the start of a seductive, dangerous back-and-forth between him and the three women.
This film captures something Practical Magic 2 reaches for in its best moments: female friendship as the real source of power. Cher, Sarandon, and Pfeiffer have an electric, effortless chemistry. Their three-way dynamic is funny, warm, and genuinely moving – a precursor to the Owens sisters’ bond by more than a decade.
The film modernizes the old trope of witches as society’s scapegoats here, they’re simply badass women who refuse to be underestimated. Nicholson delights in the Earth’s tactile pleasures, luxuriating in causing misfortune. And the climax, when the three women turn the tables, is enormously satisfying.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 1987 |
| Box office | $103 million worldwide on a $22 million budget |
| Based on | John Updike’s novel |
| Where to stream | Streaming rental (Amazon, Apple TV) |
4. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Halloween Director: Kenny Ortega Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz
This one is pure autumnal comfort. Practical Magic 2 has that same cozy, fallen-leaves-and-candle-wax energy, and no film captures it more completely than Hocus Pocus.
Three Salem witches – the Sanderson sisters are resurrected on Halloween and proceed to cause absolute mayhem in modern Massachusetts. Largely ignored by critics on release in 1993, it proved to be one of those slow bloomers that thrived in nostalgic memory – the Halloween equivalent of It’s a Wonderful Life.
The sisterhood between the three Sanderson sisters is genuinely the heart of the film. Winifred (Bette Midler) is the controlling eldest. Mary (Kathy Najimy) is the loyal, goofy middle. Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) is the beautiful, ditzy youngest. Sound familiar? The dynamic echoes throughout the Practical Magic franchise.
It’s also set in Salem, Massachusetts, just a short distance from the Owens sisters’ fictional coastal town. The New England atmosphere is essentially identical, right down to the autumn leaves and judgmental townspeople.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 1993 |
| Where to stream | Disney+ |
| Sequel | Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) on Disney+ |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 40% critics / 77% audience |
5. Wicked (2024)
Genre: Musical Fantasy Director: Jon M. Chu Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh
This might be the most unexpected entry on this list. But hear it out.
Wicked is, at its core, a story about two women who should be rivals – one beautiful, popular, and unthreatening, the other powerful, misunderstood, and terrifying to a world that can’t comprehend her, who become something much closer to sisters. Few magical friendships carry as much emotional weight as the complex bond between Elphaba and Glinda. Long before Oz branded them opposites, their shared journey tested ambitions, sisterly devotion, and moral boundaries.
The 2024 film adaptation grossed over $764 million worldwide. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are extraordinary together, their chemistry rivals Bullock and Kidman at their best. And the film asks the same central question that Practical Magic 2 does: what does a world that fears powerful women do to the women inside it?
If you loved the sisterhood in Wicked but hoped for a happier ending, Practical Magic has you covered. Or flip that: if you loved Practical Magic 2 and want more of that feeling with a spectacular musical score attached, Wicked is your answer. The two franchises scratch identical emotional itches.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 2024 |
| Box office | $764 million worldwide |
| Where to stream | Peacock |
| Awards | Multiple Oscar nominations; Best Costume Design win |
6. Stardust (2007)
Genre: Romantic Fantasy Adventure Director: Matthew Vaughn Stars: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro
Stardust is wildly underrated. It is also, in many ways, the closest thing to Practical Magic that the fantasy genre has produced in terms of pure tone.
Much like Practical Magic, Stardust takes an adult view of fantasy that’s sexy and whimsical in equal measure. Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s novel, it has something for everyone: action, romance, Robert De Niro as a cross-dressing pirate captain. Although it takes its story seriously, it does so with a twinkle in the eye, and opts for sincerity over cynicism at every turn.
The film follows a young man who crosses into a magical kingdom to retrieve a fallen star for the girl he loves – only to find the star is actually a woman named Yvaine, hunted by an evil witch queen (Michelle Pfeiffer, magnetic as ever) who wants her heart for a youth potion. The curse mechanics, the romantic tension, and the way magic operates at the edges of an ordinary world all mirror the Owens sisters’ universe.
It bombed on release. It became a beloved cult classic. Much like the original Practical Magic – there’s a clear pattern at work.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 2007 |
| Based on | Neil Gaiman’s novel |
| Where to stream | Streaming rental (Amazon, Apple TV) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 76% critics / 83% audience |
7. Into the Woods (2014)
Genre: Musical Fantasy / Drama Director: Rob Marshall Stars: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Chris Pine
Practical Magic 2 is fundamentally about what a curse does to a family across generations. Into the Woods is the same story – just told through fairy tales.
 "10 Movies to Watch If You Loved Practical Magic 2")
A childless couple sets out to end a curse placed on their household by a vengeful witch. To do so, they must venture into the woods and encounter characters from stories we all know: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel. What seems like a straightforward fairy-tale quest becomes something far darker and more emotionally devastating in its second half.
The genius of Into the Woods is that it takes stories we know and asks what happens after “happily ever after.” The answer is complicated, painful, and surprisingly resonant. Meryl Streep’s witch is a genuinely great performance – equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. Emily Blunt is quietly devastating.
And the central message that the wishes of one generation become the burdens of the next maps directly onto the Owens family legacy across both Practical Magic films.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 2014 |
| Based on | Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical |
| Where to stream | Disney+ |
| Awards | 3 Oscar nominations |
8. Like Water for Chocolate (1992)
Genre: Magical Realism / Romance / Drama Director: Alfonso Arau Stars: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné
This one is for viewers who love the quieter, more intimate magic that runs through the Practical Magic films. The magic here isn’t about spells or covens. It’s about emotion itself becoming supernatural.
Tita is forbidden from marrying the love of her life due to strict family tradition, she is the youngest daughter and must remain at home to care for her mother until her mother dies. Her only outlet is cooking. And her food carries her emotions, her grief, her love, her longing directly into everyone who eats it. Her tears fall into the wedding cake of her sister’s marriage to the man Tita loves, and every guest at the wedding is overwhelmed by inexplicable sadness.
This is magical realism at its most potent. It’s also a story about what patriarchal family traditions do to women across generations – a theme that runs directly through the heart of Practical Magic 2. The film is sensual, devastating, and absolutely beautiful to look at.
If you want something slower, more lyrical, and emotionally complex after the sequel, this is the film.
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 1992 |
| Language | Spanish (with subtitles) |
| Based on | Laura Esquivel’s novel Como agua para chocolate |
| Where to stream | Streaming rental (Amazon, Apple TV) |
9. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Genre: Animated Fantasy / Romance Director: Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) Stars (English dub): Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall
Don’t let the animation fool you. Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the most emotionally sophisticated explorations of curses, love, and identity in all of cinema, and it belongs on this list without qualification.
The film follows Sophie, a young hat-maker cursed by the Witch of the Waste into the body of an old woman. She seeks refuge in the mobile castle of the wizard Howl, where a fire spirit named Calcifer promises to break her curse if she can secure his freedom in return. What follows is an unforgettable journey through love, war, greed, and self-discovery, with magic woven into every single frame.
The film’s central metaphor is quietly brilliant: Sophie literally becomes who she feels herself to be, her age and appearance shifting with her confidence and love. The curse in this film isn’t just an obstacle – it’s a way of seeing.
There’s a warmth in Howl’s Moving Castle unlike most animated films — a romantic intimacy that feels specifically made for viewers who grew up loving Beauty and the Beast. Curses, talking creatures, and the most endearing, unlikely love story blossoming in forced proximity. Sound familiar?
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 2004 |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli |
| Based on | Diana Wynne Jones’ novel |
| Where to stream | Netflix |
10. Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Genre: Gothic Romance / Fantasy Director: Richard LaGravenese Stars: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Emmy Rossum, Viola Davis, Jeremy Irons
| Detail | Info |
| Year | 2013 |
| Based on | Novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl |
| Where to stream | Streaming rental (Amazon, Apple TV) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 47% critics / 65% audience |
Practical Magic 2 goes darker in its exploration of what a cursed bloodline does to the women born into it. Beautiful Creatures is exactly that story, told from a lush Southern Gothic perspective.
Ethan is a restless teenager in a small South Carolina town who falls for Lena, a girl from a mysterious family of “casters” (witches and warlocks) who is approaching a dark claiming ceremony on her sixteenth birthday. Her family’s ancient curse will determine whether she belongs to the light or the dark, and she has no say in the matter.
The generational curse mechanics, the romance between an ordinary person and someone marked by magical fate, and the oppressive small-town atmosphere all map perfectly onto the Practical Magic universe. Emmy Rossum is wickedly fun as the villainous Ridley. Viola Davis brings gravitas and mystery to every scene. And Jeremy Irons delivers the kind of theatrical, fully committed performance this kind of film lives or dies by.
It underperformed at the box office and never got its intended sequel. Like so many films on this list, it found its audience later, and that audience has been loyal ever since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Practical Magic 2 worth watching if I haven’t seen the original?
The sequel is built to stand on its own, but you’ll get significantly more out of it having seen the 1998 original first. The emotional payoff of reuniting with Sally, Gilly, and the aunts is a large part of what makes the sequel work.
Where can I watch Practical Magic 2?
Practical Magic 2 released in theaters on September 10, 2026. Based on Warner Bros.’ typical theatrical window, it is expected to arrive on Max (HBO Max) sometime between late November and early December 2026 — right in time for the holiday season.
What is Practical Magic 2 based on?
Practical Magic 2 is based on The Book of Magic, Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel, the fourth book in her Practical Magic series. Hoffman also wrote the 1995 novel that the original 1998 film was adapted from.
Is Practical Magic 2 appropriate for kids?
The film carries a PG-13 rating. It features dark themes around curses, death, and family trauma, plus mild romance.
All streaming availability is subject to change. Check your local streaming platforms for current listings.
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