Practical Magic (franchise)

Did You Know?

• A Broadway musical based on the first book and film is in development, with an original score by Norah Jones and Gregg Wattenberg.
• The musical will be written by Alice Hoffman and Peter Duchan, with Maria Friedman directing.

Book series

For more than 200 years, the Owens women of Sudbury, Massachusetts have been blamed for local misfortunes. Years later, strange circumstances reunite them in a world blending the mundane and the mysterious. Three generations of Owens women must unite for unexpected insight and revelation. A prequel set in the 1960s follows siblings Franny, Jet, and Vincent as they navigate their magical abilities under strict rules set by their mother Susanna: no walking in moonlight, no red shoes, no black clothing, no cats or crows, no candles or magic books, and never fall in love. In the 1600s, baby Maria is abandoned in an English field and raised by Hannah Owens, learning the Unnamed Arts. When the man she loves abandons her, Maria invokes the curse that will haunt her family for centuries. Years after the first book, Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has seven days to break the curse. Unaware of their witchcraft lineage, a young Owens sister falls in love; as the curse strikes, three generations travel to the English countryside to break the spell.

Film series

The Owens sorcery carries a price: the men they fall in love with are doomed to untimely death. As adults, the quiet Sally and fiery Gillian must use their powers to fight the family curse. A sequel was announced in June 2024, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in talks to return and produce alongside Denise Di Novi. Akiva Goldsman will write the script. Griffin Dunne hinted a woman will direct. The sequel is based on Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic. In August 2024, Di Novi was optimistic about beginning production the next year. In January 2025, Susanne Bier was reportedly in talks to direct; by February 2025, Kidman said the sequel was moving ahead rapidly. In May 2025, Bier was confirmed as director, with a release date of September 18, 2026. In July 2025, Joey King and Maisie Williams were cast as Sally's daughters; Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest will reprise their roles; Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod were cast in unknown roles. Principal photography ran from July 18 to September 13, 2025. In February 2026, the release date moved up to September 11, 2026.

Television

In 2004, Warner Bros. and CBS produced a pilot titled Sudbury, starring Kim Delaney and Jeri Ryan, but it was not picked up. In 2010, Warner Bros. and ABC Family attempted a reboot series. In 2019, HBO Max announced a prequel series based on The Rules of Magic, with Melissa Rosenberg writing and executive producing, but the project never came to fruition.