Practical Magic 2 Ending, Explained — Does It Set Up A Trilogy?

Time to put the lime back in the coconut and mix it all up — 28 years on from Practical Magic, the Owens sisters have floated back into cinemas this week for Practical Magic 2.

As the leaves start to fall and that little bite of cold returns to the air, you might already be considering what to watch for the cosiest months of the year. If so, Practical Magic — a 1998 cult classic in which Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock played witchy sisters (with notable commitment problems) living in a leafy New England town — is probably near the top of your list.

The sequel picks up in the present day with the four main characters — Sally and Gillian (Bullock and Kidman), and aunt Jet and aunt Fran (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, both of whom are delightfully still with us) — joined by Sally’s daughters, Kylie and Antonia (Joey King and Maisie Williams), who have no idea about the family curse or their witching abilities. At least not yet. 

Here’s everything that went down in the movie's final act - with heavy spoilers, of course - and whether we think it sets up a third entry. 

What Happens at The End of Practical Magic 2

If I had to guess, I’m pretty sure most fans would be happy enough to just see Bullock and Kidman riff for a couple of hours, over a few margaritas, but there is actually a good bit of plot going on in Practical Magic 2.

The drama, of course, is set in motion by the Owens curse, which neither Kylie (the outgoing one) nor Antonia (who works as a neurosurgeon) is aware of. This is the reason why Kylie doesn’t panic when her boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) says he loves her. It also means that she doesn’t blame herself or get superstitious when he’s hit by a car and goes into a coma on the morning after Aunt Jet's funeral. At least not until Sally gives her the lowdown.

That scene is followed by a good old meltdown, which leads to her discovering Fran's spell book, which leads to a vision of England, which leads to her going there to save Gideon... (Phew). Her mum and aunt decide to follow along, leaving Antonia to care for Gideon in the hospital — with some witchy assistance from Aunt Jet. In England, Kylie ends up in a rural village where she meets a hunky local named Thomas (Solly McLeod), who turns out to be a distant relative; back in London, Sally and Gill track down a doctor who studies the occult (Lee Pace) and whose name, rather hilariously, is Ian Wright. 

Together, after some flirtatious back and forth, they work out where Kylie is but arrive too late. As it turns out, Thomas (who has no powers and a big old chip on his shoulder) has fiendishly stolen Kylie’s magic. This leads to a little action scene that ends with the Owens sisters and Kylie combining their powers to turn him into dust.

Just before that, Sally, who’d been batting her eyelashes at Ian and vice versa over some pie and custard a moment earlier, decides to knock him out with a frying pan after wrongly suspecting that he and Thomas are in cahoots. Now, having seen the error of her ways, she goes to apologise and finds him having a brandy in the local pub. Of course, the two make up, but a kiss isn't possible… at least not yet.

Back in the States, we learn the curse hasn’t been lifted yet because a witch has yet to sacrifice herself — which means Aunt Jet hasn’t accepted that the clicking beetle that's been scuttering around in the hospital is actually there for her and not Gideon. With his life on the line, Jet sacrifices herself to lift the curse, at which point he wakes up.

We then jump forward a year, to the eve of Kylie and Gideon’s wedding, where the four Owens women get together to remember Jet and Fran. Using a little magic, they light a few candles, only for all the other candles in the room to light up, too — a sign that their aunts are still looking over them. 

At the wedding the next day, the groom kisses the bride, and Antonia catches the bouquet — giving the eyes to a young woman who we assume is her girlfriend. As the margaritas start to flow and 'The Coconut Song' plays, Sally moves away from the crowd and into the arms of Doctor Wright for that kiss we’ve been waiting for.

The movie ends with the four ladies taking to the roof to recreate the iconic floating umbrella scene from the first movie, with Sally (and Sandy) closing out the story in voiceover, just like she did 28 years ago.

Does Practical Magic 2 Set Up a Third Movie?

The basic answer as to whether Practical Magic 2 sets up a Practical Magic 3 is yes and no. The movie, like most legacy sequels, follows a lot of the same story beats as the original — including the ending itself, which wrapped things up rather nicely again. For a third movie to work, the curse would have to come back to haunt them once more, possibly messing up Antonia’s relationship with the young woman we saw at the wedding — which would be some justice for Maisie Williams, who really doesn’t get a lot to do.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the movie won't rake in quite enough to get everyone pumped up enough for a third instalment. Bullock and Kidman both have busy schedules, of course, and it’s hard to see Williams and King carrying a movie like this as co-leads. They just don’t have the same chemistry as Bullock and Kidman — which, to be fair, is a high bar. In all likelihood, this will be a one-and-done — a nostalgia hit for fans of the original to enjoy.

But who knows, maybe we’ll see another generation come along in 20 years. Chances are, Bullock and Kidman will still look the same.