Men have the worst luck in the world of Practical Magic, but can these new male characters overcome the Owens family curse? Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock return as the witchy Owens sisters in Practical Magic 2, and joining them are newcomers Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, and Lee Pace.
“I wouldn’t say I’m someone who believes in magic, but I don’t not believe in it,” Pace says in an interview exclusive to Rolling Stone Philippines. “I think that the mysteries in this world are so complicated and [multi]faceted, you can’t just rely on logic or science to understand everything.”
In the upcoming film, Pace plays Ian Wright, a tatted-up professor of witchcraft and love interest to Bullock’s Sally. Of filming with the actress, Pace says he’d pinched himself many times. “How lucky am I to be sharing a scene like this with Sandra Bullock?” he says. “The number of times I’ve watched her in films fall in love with someone, and here I was sitting across a table from her, and I felt like I was with an old friend. And I was falling in love with her.”
When asked if he brought his own beliefs about magic into playing Ian, the American actor — who played the elf king Thranduil in The Hobbit — says that while he does not believe in magic, he also thinks “it doesn’t feel wrong.”
“I think there are people who are intuitive and who have illogical, uncerebral ways of understanding both people and nature,” he says. “Obviously, there are huge traditions of Egyptian magic, English magic, Native American magic, all around the globe. It’s like there are lots of different ways pointing towards the same thing.”
Maridueña likewise says, “I know mediums, and I do believe in the connection to the afterlife and the power of ancestors. I feel like that’s magic in its own way.” The actor plays Gideon, the boyfriend of Sally’s daughter Kylie, who was played by Evan Rachel Wood in the 1998 film and Joey King in the sequel.
“Joey has been such a pleasure to get to work with,” Maridueña says of his co-star. “I didn’t know anyone coming onto this set; it was a whole new family, and that’s always the most exciting thing. But it’s also a little bit nerve-wracking. And Joey did the kindest thing in welcoming me with open arms.”
He also praised Bullock and Kidman, saying they were “by far two of the best women that I’ve had the privilege of working with.” In particular, Maridueña says he enjoyed watching the two work as both actresses and producers on set. “Their ability to navigate producing while being 100 percent down to play and riff and get into the nooks and crannies of these scenes, figuring what works and what doesn’t — it was humbling to sit alongside them.”
McLeod says he was nervous about being a newcomer in the Practical Magic series. “But after meeting everyone — and they were so welcoming and very supportive of the stuff I was doing — it was really a joy,” he says.
The actor, who plays the mysterious Tom Lockland, also spends much of his screen time with King, who employs the help of Tom in her search for answers about her ancestry. “I had a lot of my scenes with Joey, and she was brilliant, such a fun person to be around,” says McLeod.
As for whether he believes in magic, he’s not sure he’s ever experienced it. “I mean weird shit has happened to me, but I don’t know if it was magic,” he says. “I grew up on an island in Scotland and I think there are links to the Norse gods, stuff like that, so [it’s a] different style of magic than [the movie]. But I guess I don’t disagree that there’s maybe some kind of magic in the world.”
Practical Magic 2 comes to Philippine cinemas on September 9.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Practical Magic 2, sisters Gillie and Sally Owens must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all. It picks up from the 1998 film Practical Magic, where Gillie and Sally, raised by their eccentric aunts, try to navigate their love lives despite the family curse, which dooms the men who fall in love with them to die tragic deaths.
Practical Magic 2 was directed by Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier, who’s also known for directing Bird Box and TV shows like The Night Manager, The Undoing, and The Perfect Couple. While Griffin Dunne, director of Practical Magic, wasn’t involved in the sequel, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman returned to write the screenplay.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprise their roles as Sally and Gillie Owens, respectively. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also return as Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances. Practical Magic 2 also stars Maisie Williams as Antonia and Joey King as Kylie, Sally’s daughters. Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod play new characters.
Xolo Maridueña is best known for playing Miguel Diaz in the Netflix series Cobra Kai and the titular superhero in the 2023 DC Extended Universe film Blue Beetle, set to reprise the role in the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. Solly McLeod starred in Viggo Mortensen’s 2023 Western The Dead Don’t Hurt and the television drama Tom Jones as the titular character. He also appeared in the sixth season of Outlander and the first season of House of the Dragon.
Practical Magic 2 is rated PG by the MTRCB, allowing audiences of all ages to watch the film with parental guidance.
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