This week, whimsy-seekers from New England to the Pacific Northwest will be awaiting a long-anticipated follow-up. Practical Magic 2 revisits the characters born from Alice Hoffman’s bestseller, which later became a cult favorite in the 1998 film adaptation, tracing the Owens sisters and their aunts on a mysterious caper beneath Cape Cod’s softly lit skies. I’m eager to dive back in. The group chat is buzzing with anticipation. Yet after a lengthy absence from the island, we have questions in tow.
Rumor has it that the plot of Practical Magic 2 borrows from Hoffman’s 2021 sequel, The Book of Magic, and yet I’ve spent the past twenty years mulling over the Owens sisters’ destinies as well. Still, once again, the folks at Denise Di Novi’s office chose not to respond. As you ready your broomsticks and margarita mixes, ponder what might have happened.
1. Practical Magic 2: Ghostsisters
Jimmy Angelov, a deadbeat with a vampire vibe, can’t seem to sever ties with the Owens clan. His malevolent spirit claws its way out of the tomb when Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, casts a faulty revival spell aimed at her late great-aunt. (RIP, Jet.)
Though most of the island’s departed are kindly fishermen and a chorus of judgmental PTA parents—plus a murderer’s row of guest stars—Jimmy remains as prone to upheaval now as he was in the 90s. And the long nap has only sharpened his thirst for tequila spiked with sister blood.
This sequel finds the entire island rattled by a ghost-plague, calling for exorcists—some from the spirit realm. (Keep an eye out for the deus ex matriarch, Maria.) A B-plot tracks old-husband hijinks, when the late fruit vendor returns only to discover that he’s been replaced by a state trooper. Sally must determine whether it’s truly possible to love two men at once—especially if one is a ghost. Will a supernatural pancake-flipping contest calm her unruly heart?
As in the original, hatchets must be buried and covens summoned to answer these questions. And hubris is the spark that starts it all. Antonia, as powerful as her mother but as undisciplined as her aunt, must learn that practice makes perfect. And, truly, no one should raise the dead.
2. Practical Magic 2: Widow’s Bae
In Hoffman’s novel, the aunts also tinker with reproductive healthcare, continuing the long-standing tradition within the witchy professions. This is the realm Gillian has carved out for herself by 2026, when her services are in especially high demand.
That’s right. The magic in this sequel proves even more practically applied. But guerrilla healthcare has put Gilly at odds with 1) Sally, who’s become irritatingly jealous of her charismatic sister’s rising standing in the community, and 2) her law-loving brother-in-law, Special Agent Gary Hallet. The plot thickens when young Kylie seeks her aunt’s help, without telling her parents.
After Hallet dies in a botched clinic raid caused by a misfired banishing spell, the entire Owens clan nearly unravels. Three generations of sisters find themselves at odds, torn between romance and a lifelong commitment to women’s health in several instances.
When federal authorities step in, an aunts-led coven must band together to defend Gillian’s operation, and all the wombs on the island. But can Sally summon the grace to fight the good fight? Or will belladonna self-medication spell the end, for real this time?
This sequel, guided throughout by Stevie Nicks, explores how we mourn flawed loves and how we shoulder the responsibilities that come with great power. Oscar-worthy stuff, Denise!
3. Practical Magic 2: Obsession
Remember that woman from the first film who sacrifices an innocent dove in the name of a Pats fan straight out of a casting call? It won’t surprise anyone to learn that she’s not faring well. Over the last twenty years, her beloved’s inability to stay calm has driven her toward madness, megalomania, and the dreaded dabbling in witchcraft.
Today, let’s call her Pat, and she runs a left-leaning botanical empire that threatens the Owens’ local monopoly on lotions and balms. And with a global recession looming over the island’s delicate fishing economy, former PTA moms are flocking to the darker side of magic to keep their aggrieved partners obedient.
The dabbling covens awaken a creature more terrifying than mid-life ennui. But will the Owens sisters swoop in to save the day, or leave the community that’s so often shut them out to clean up their own messy mess this time?
A B-plot follows Hallet in a trust dilemma, again questioning whether his own romance was the result of manipulation. As his New England cop/warlock community, this sequel will feature a cast of beloved bit players. Margo Martindale’s presence is just the tip of this iceberg.
Sorry for your loss, Ms. Di Novi. Everyone else? See you at the solstice party.
