A witchy sequel with modest but hopeful projections
Warner Bros. is betting on Practical Magic 2, the follow-up to the 1998 romantic fantasy comedy that paired Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, to carry the box office after a summer that set a stateside record of $4.76 billion. Early projections put the sequel at about $40 million domestically and $18 million to $23 million overseas across 77 territories, for a worldwide start of $58 million to $63 million. The film will open in markets including Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom, but not China.[S1]
Warner Bros. itself expects a North American debut of $30 million to $35 million from 4,000 theaters, though some observers see room for the film to outperform because it continues a fan favorite cherished by millennial and Gen-Z women. The studio is not anticipating a breakout on the scale of The Devil Wears Prada 2, which opened to $76.7 million in the U.S. and went on to $220.5 million domestic and $693 million worldwide, but it counts on a committed core audience for the Stephanie Bier-directed sequel. The original was directed by Griffin Dunne.[S1]
Tracking, premium screens and critical reception
In first-choice tracking, Practical Magic 2 performs strongest among women over 25, followed by younger women. Its overall first-choice score sits 100% above Warner Bros.' Wuthering Heights, which opened to $32.8 million, but 40% below Bullock's The Lost City, which opened to $30.4 million. The PG-13 film has premium large-format screens in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, notably Dolby, and begins previews at 2 p.m. Thursday.[S1]
The script for the sequel was penned by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, adapted from Alice Hoffman's 2021 book The Book of Magic. Reception from reviewers has been chilly: Practical Magic 2 holds a 34% Rotten Tomatoes score, while the 1998 original also struggled with critics at 30%. That first movie debuted to $13.1 million and finished with $46.7 million in North America plus $47.7 million overseas, totaling $94.4 million worldwide. Like Heat, it remained a durable title in the Warner Bros. vault and eventually drew viewers on HBO Max, a showing that helped prompt the sequel's approval. The follow-up carries a net cost of $75 million before prints and advertising. Its story follows a family of witches across generations, doomed to centuries without love, who attempt to undo the curse by unearthing dark secrets and sacrificing for one another.[S1]
Other wide releases and a record in sight
Sony's Spider-Man: Brand New Day is positioned to overtake Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which grossed $936.6 million, as the highest-grossing film ever at the North American box office. If it does not happen in its seventh weekend, it should cross that mark by the middle of next week.[S1]
Hope, a science-fiction film from Neon that became a big success in South Korea, launched Thursday and is projected to post single-digit figures across its five-day domestic debut in 1,560 theaters. Na Hong-ji directed and wrote it, with Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander playing aliens; it premiered at Cannes and sits at 78% fresh with Rotten Tomatoes critics. Runner, an action comedy from Angels Studios that should not be confused with the Gal Gadot Prime Video movie now streaming, features Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson and is likewise expected to manage only single digits across 2,000 U.S. and Canadian sites. Scott Waugh directed it; it is 67% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and centers on a former soldier and his mismatched ally who, hunted by a merciless cartel, race to deliver vital medical supplies and save a young girl's life.[S1]
Focus Features has the Andrew Garfield period film The Uprising from Paul Greengrass, based on the legend of Robin Hood and his crusade against King Richard II's tyranny. Booked at 1,500 sites, it is expected to take around $5 million at 2,055 domestic locations, with critics unimpressed at 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. Disney's concert documentary Oasis: Don't Look Back at Anger plays 1,200 theaters, including 390 Imax auditoriums, with an outlook of $2 million to $4 million. The film about the British band premiered at Venice to an eight-minute standing ovation and holds a 97% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics.[S1]
