Practical Magic sequel to 'honor' themes of the original movie

Sometimes, when legacy sequels happen, producers and filmmakers misinterpret what fans actually want to see from the film, making the finished product a disappointment, especially when it's a modern follow-up to an older movie. Producer Denise Di Novi is aware of this trend and wants to ensure fans that they don't intend to let that happen with the recently announced Practical Magic sequel.

Talking to People, Di Novi, who worked as a producer on the original 1998 movie, discussed their intentions for the upcoming film, saying she believes "the big mistake people make with sequels is when they kind of want to reinvent the wheel."

The desire to shake things up for a continuation is understandable. Writers, directors, and even actors often want to put their own spin on classic material. But it's a very delicate balance. People are serious about their nostalgia and no one likes to see their favorite characters and stories turned into something unidentifiable. It's something the recent Hocus Pocus sequel struggled with, as while many enjoyed the film, others felt it didn't fully recapture the magic of the original.

Di Novi appreciates the themes of the 1998 movie, which was based on Alice Hoffman's 1995 novel of the same name. Part of why Practical Magic has such an enduring legacy, especially for women, is because of its "themes of sisterhood and family and acceptance, tolerance, love." Those are ideals that never go out of style.

"It's magical, and we all have our gifts, and women have very particular and specific gifts. We really want to honor all of that."

It helps that the film featured two actresses who were already popular in the 1990s and have only grown in popularity since then. Both Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, who played sisters Gillian and Sally Owens in the movie, respectively, have also gone on to become Oscar winners. In addition to Di Novi returning to work on the sequel, Bullock and Kidman will reprise their roles and serve as producers.

No plot details and additional cast have been announced for the film yet, but it will reportedly begin filming in 2025.

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