«Practical Magic 2» topped the domestic box office in its opening weekend with $30 million from 4,146 theaters, but the Warner Bros. sequel's weak overseas performance and middling reception have raised questions about its commercial prospects. The film added just $16 million internationally, a disappointing result for a release built around the return of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
The sequel's domestic debut is higher than the 1998 original's $13.1 million opening, though adjusted for inflation that figure would be $26.9 million. With premium formats factored in, the sequel likely sold fewer tickets than the original. The film cost $75 million to produce, and while pre-sales began strongly, they declined over the final week, with projections falling from a possible $40 million to the eventual $30 million.
The original «Practical Magic» was not a success in its initial release, earning $46.7 million domestically and $94.4 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. It received negative reviews and a «B−» CinemaScore. The film later found a second life on cable and home media, which led Warner Bros. to greenlight a sequel 28 years later. But legacy sequels depend on the enduring popularity of their predecessors, and «Practical Magic» lacks the cultural footprint of titles like «Top Gun» or «Beetlejuice».
Reviews for the sequel sit at 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, and audience demographics skewed heavily toward existing fans. According to Warner Bros., 78% of the opening weekend audience was female, 69% was over 25, and 36% was 45 or older. Despite casting Joey King and Maisie Williams in lead roles, the film failed to draw younger viewers. Audiences gave it a «B+» CinemaScore, better than the original's «B−» but still a middling grade that suggests word of mouth will only modestly improve on the poor reviews.
The weekend's top 10 earned a combined $74.4 million, down 46.7% from the same frame last year, when «Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle» shattered anime records. «Practical Magic 2» is projected to finish around $75 million domestically, meaning it will sell fewer tickets than the original's inflation-adjusted $96 million. Combined with the overseas numbers, the film could end up a money loser. Warner Bros. remains the only major studio without a single film reaching $100 million domestically this year.
Elsewhere, «The Odyssey» became Universal's highest-grossing film of all time at $1.687 billion, a milestone that underscores the studio's strong run with the title. «Runner» over-performed projections, while «Hope» got off to a fine start given the challenges against it. «The Uprising» fared poorly, opening with just $3.3 million.
The mixed results reflect a fall season that has yet to find its footing. «Practical Magic 2» stopped «Spider-Man»'s reign at the top, but its soft overseas debut and reliance on nostalgia suggest the sequel may struggle to recoup its costs. For Warner Bros., the film's performance adds to a difficult year in which no release has crossed the $100 million domestic mark.