“Practical Magic 2” Stumbles at the Box Office With $30 Million Opening Weekend

Whatever enchantment the Owens sisters — portrayed by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman — were supposed to cast over moviegoers evidently fell flat.

“Practical Magic 2” landed weakly in its domestic debut, earning $30 million from 4,146 North American theaters, below expectations. Internationally, the Warner Bros. fantasy sequel added a dismal $16 million from 77 markets, bringing its global opening to $46 million.

The more troubling detail: adjusted for inflation, the sequel’s opening is nearly identical to the original 1998 “Practical Magic,” which debuted to $13 million — roughly $27 million in today’s dollars — and was initially considered a flop. With a production budget of $75 million plus tens of millions in global marketing, Warner Bros. is pinning its hopes on nostalgia and the draw of Bullock and Kidman for a mid-run recovery. (Theaters typically retain about half of ticket revenue.)

Critical reception offers little help: the film holds a dismal 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were more forgiving, awarding it a “B+” on CinemaScore. Early turnout skewed older and female, suggesting the sequel resonated with core fans but failed to attract younger viewers. Directed by Susanne Bier, the film jumps forward 25 years as Sally’s and Gillian’s daughters confront buried family secrets and attempt to break the curse that has plagued their bloodline. Joey King and Maisie Williams joined the cast, with Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing returning from the original.

“Practical Magic 2” continues a difficult stretch for Warner Bros. after this summer’s “The End of Oak Street” and “Supergirl,” plus the spring’s “The Bride!” The underperformance adds pressure to the studio’s October release “Digger,” a Tom Cruise-led comedy with a budget near $130 million.

Still, “Practical Magic 2” claimed the No. 1 spot, ending “Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s” six-weekend run at the top. It also opened ahead of several new arrivals, including Angel Studios’ action comedy “Runner” and Focus Features’ period drama “The Uprising” starring Andrew Garfield.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” fell to No. 2 with $8.6 million in its seventh weekend. The Sony sequel has now earned $935 million domestically and $2.4 billion globally, on track to surpass “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” as the highest-grossing domestic release by Monday.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” took third with $8.1 million from 1,983 theaters, pushing its domestic total to $601 million after nine weekends and its worldwide tally to $1.68 billion — overtaking “Jurassic World” as Universal’s highest-grossing release.

“Coyote vs. Acme” placed fourth with $6.3 million in its third weekend, down 47%, bringing its domestic total to $47.8 million. Indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment picked up the well-reviewed “Looney Tunes” spinoff after Warner Bros. shelved it as a $30 million tax write-off.

“Runner” closed the top five with $6 million from 2,568 venues in its first weekend, earning an “A-” CinemaScore despite tepid reviews. The film follows a former Navy SEAL racing to deliver life-saving medicine to a sick child while pursued by the cartel.

“The Uprising,” also debuting, landed at No. 8 with $3.25 million from 2,068 theaters and a “B-” CinemaScore — a rough sign for longevity. Focus Features acquired North American rights for $12 million.

In limited release, Neon’s South Korean thriller “Hope” debuted at No. 7 with $3.3 million from 1,560 locations and has since grossed $5 million domestically. Already one of South Korea’s biggest releases of the year at $36.2 million, the Na Hong-jin film follows a mysterious creature terrorizing a remote coastal town.

Disney’s “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” a documentary following Liam and Noel Gallagher’s first reunion since 2009, failed to crack the top 10, opening in 11th with $1.5 million from 1,225 screens. The film, which premiered to rapturous reviews at Venice, includes behind-the-scenes footage from the reunion tour and the brothers’ first joint interview in two decades.

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