‘Practical Magic 2’ Ending, Explained
Practical Magic (1998) isn't a perfect movie, but it's a gorgeously nostalgic gem that many of us still turn to during the spooky season for all the glorious mischief the Owens women deliver. Because of how deeply some of us adore it, we didn't exactly need a sequel, but if we were going to get one, Practical Magic 2 (2026) is indeed a worthy successor despite its low Rotten Tomatoes debut. The first one still shines with its rotten score of 30%, but countless critics, myself included, adore every part of it to this day.
That said, while Practical Magic 2 has some glaring issues that don't make it nearly as charming as the original, the end result is nevertheless a beautiful story centered around sisterhood and embracing every part of oneself. The love stories are surprisingly more compelling than they were in the original, and there's a definitive answer to whether there will be a third film or not.
Does The Owens Curse Break In ‘Practical Magic 2’?
After Practical Magic, we believed that the Owens curse was broken because Sally (Sandra Bullock) met the "impossible" man she'd dreamed of, meaning that maybe there'd be some sort of divine protection over him. Tragically, that isn't the case, and the curse is still plaguing the Owens women in Practical Magic 2.
We essentially learn that shortly after the events of the original movie, Gary (Aidan Quinn) also died after he and Sally got married. Because of her grief, she cast a spell on her daughters that they'd forget about magic entirely and that their lives could go on like normal women, where they'd never know about witchcraft. She also never dates, while Gillian (Nicole Kidman) continues to, and also embraces magic fully, despite keeping it from her nieces.
The sequel starts when all the women are preparing for Aunt Jet's (Dianne Wiest) birthday, but what they don't know is that her death is also coming. After Jet's passing, Sally's daughter Kylie, now played by Joey King, confesses to her boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) that she loves him, and the next day he's hit by a car, putting him in a coma. Heartbroken and devastated by the realization that the Owens curse people whispered about is real, she takes the Book of Raven from Jet's desk that was meant for Aunt Fran (Stockard Channing) and runs off to London in hopes of breaking the curse and saving Gideon in the process.
There, we learn that Maria Owens' mother, Hannah Owens, had a secret child who never had the same magical powers, which essentially means neither did their descendants. Upset by this realization, a young man who's a descendant named Tommy Lockland (Solly McLeod) essentially holds Kylie hostage and tries to steal her powers. We learn that he's the one who lured her to London under false pretenses and was also an apprentice of Lee Pace's Ian Wright. But with the combined powers from Sally, Gillian, and Kylie, they thankfully vanquish him. Their unity then unbinds the book's latched pages, revealing that the curse is impossible to break because no spell can do it the way a sacrifice from an Owens witch could.
Upon learning this detail, Aunt Fran takes matters into her own hands and sacrifices herself, which then results in Gideon waking up from his coma, proving that this time, it worked. The curse is actually broken. A sacrifice like this feels like a cliché, but given the closeness the Owens women share, it's also understandable in more ways than one. It feels right for them. It's hard to picture a world where Aunt Jet and Fran aren't together in the same way that it'd be impossible to imagine Gillian and Sally apart.
Owens women, at least in their line, come in twos—no matter who they meet or love, their sister is their person. (Sally says as much to Gillian.) Their sister is the one they'd do anything for, come hell or high water, or any demonic figure standing in their path. The moment we lost Aunt Jet, it was almost obvious that Aunt Frances' death would be imminent, too, and there's something strangely poetic about that which fits the Owens sisters beautifully.
‘Practical Magic 2’ Marks A Clear Ending And There Shouldn't Be A Third Movie
With the curse finally breaking through Fran's sacrifice, it's impossible to imagine any kind of movie with the Owens women again. As lovely as it'd be to see them in some sort of fluffy, low-stakes adventure, a large part of the appeal was their history, the generation of women, and their shared experiences. It was the nostalgia. With Practical Magic 2 it becomes a solid duology, but anything beyond that would be stretching the narrative in a manner that's simply unnecessary. This is especially true without the aunts, even though their roles are now transferred to Sally and Gillian.
‘Practical Magic 2’ Thankfully Still Features Worthy Romance
Midnight margaritas became a part of all of us, but it's the romance that adds the extra touch of sparkle to the movie that's impossible to let go of. And Practical Magic might feature two iconic first kiss segments, but Practical Magic 2 features Lee Pace as a love interest, so really, I had no choice but to appreciate the romance here.
No offense to anyone else out there, but when Lee Pace is in the room, he's the only man. And it's incredible that he's not only not the villain because that was a genuine fear of mine going into the movie, but he's an academic scholar who's fully aware of the Owens women, and also a glowing gentleman with a sense of humor. Has there ever been a bigger win?
Pace has perfected the art of yearning since Pushing Daisies (2026), and it's all gloriously present in Practical Magic 2 as he clearly falls head over heels for Sally. Interestingly, while their love story doesn't get much time to develop, everything we see comes to life because of the chemistry. It feels earned and almost cosmic that they'd end up together, and there are few things I appreciate more than a third-act angsty break-up where two people think they can't be together, only for them to recognize that they can in the end. It's safe to assume Ian isn't going anywhere, plus third time's the charm, right?
